Chinese spikers tear holes in North Koreans
Mighty Guangdong Evergrande and in-form Zhetyssu of Kazakhstan brushed off rivals to set up set up a title showdown at the 14th Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship in Buon Ma Thuot.
Evergrande and Zhetyssu are the only unbeaten teams in the top-flight eight-team tournament, with the former not losing a set en route to the final, In the semi-finals on Saturday, Evergrande hammered Bo Tong Gang of North Korea in straight sets 25-20 25-16 25-14, while Zhetyssu rallied past Japan’s PFU Blue Cats in five hard-fought sets 21-25 25-19 22-25 25-16 15-11.
Evergrande, coached by volleyball great Lang Ping, struggled to hit form in the opening set against old foes from North Korea.
Jong Jin-sim, who scored a high of 43 points in the previous match against hosts Lienviet Postbank, remained the Koreans’ main weapon with repeated and explosive attacks. But Evergrande counter-attacked with lightning-fast spikes from the 195cm-tall Xu Yunli and Italian import Carolina Del Pilar.
The first set saw the Koreans again reach 20 points against the Chinese onslaught – the only team to have done so here – after similar “success” in the first round.
After winning the battle for momentum, debutantes Evergrande made their better opportunities and height advantage count to take control of the remaining two sets for an easy win and a shot at the title. China can now boast a record of 10 teams in the final of the annual competition.
“Kazakhstan’s Zhetyssu are a strong team with tall players, like us. However, to win the championship, we have to beat team,” said Evergrande’s head coach Lang.
The battle for minor places among fifth- to eighth-place teams saw Taipei fight their way past Giti Pasand of Iran in straight sets 25-13 25-23 25-17, while Vietnamese hosts Lienviet Postbank beat Thai debutantes Idea Khonkaen in a marathon 102-minute five-setter, 25-9 22-25 17-25 25-16 18-16.
“We played poorly in the first set,” said Idea Khonkaen’s head coach Banjong Sombat. “I think my team were made nervous by the pressure of playing the hosts. Our first-ball reception fell short of expectations.
“We did well in the second and third sets when our players combined well for attacks and blocks.
“We learned a lot from this championship. Our last match against Giti Pasand will not be easy.”
