Perfect record punctured, but Chinese spikers ride on
Unbeaten Guangdong Evergrande underlined their supremacy in the 14th Asian Women's Club Volleyball Championship, with the Chinese champions crushing the resistance of battle-hardened Zhetyssu of Kazakhstan in the final.
The dramatic 25-18 25-17 23-25 25-16 victory gave renowned coach Lang Ping’s debutantes a remarkable clean sweep in the one-week, eight-team competition, which concluded on Sunday.
The victory means Evergrande secure a berth to represent Asia in October’s FIVB Women’s Club World Championship in Switzerland.
Ten Chinese teams have advanced to the final in 14 editions of the Asian Women’s Club Championship, with seven going on to win the tournament. Shanghai Cable TV represented China in the inaugural Asian Women’s Club Championship in Ubon Ratchathani, in 1999, but only managed third place, behind winners LG Caltex of South Korea. Shanghai Cable TV were eventually crowned champions for the first time in 2000 on home soil in Shaoxing. The remaining six Chinese titles came courtesy of Shanghai Cable TV (2001), Tianjin Bridgestone (2005, ’06, ’08 and 2012) and Guangdong Evergrande (2013).
The final encounter of this year’s episode turned out to be a grand-slam clash between the only two unbeaten teams. The Chinese arrived with a perfect record, having not lost a single set en route to the final.
The Kazakhstan team upset that record, but failed to build on their win in the third set.
“In the first set, we had trouble with the game Zhetyssu were playing,” said renowned Evergrande coach Lang Ping. “They played a European style. It was very tight and we were a bit tired – normally we play more relaxed.
“We came back in the third set, but we committed too many errors to win it. In all, we did well in this tournament.
“I will now join the Chinese national team for a four-team [China, Cuba, Thailand and Puerto Rico] invitation tournament in China,” said Lang Ping, who in 2002 was inducted to the Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts.
In the play-offs earlier, Japan’s PFU Blue Cats outclassed Bo Tong Gang of North Korea 25-17 25-22 25-22 to take third place, and hosts Lienviet Postbank claimed fifth after brushing off Taipei 25-17 25-22 25-19.
Thai champions Idea Khonkaen returned with a consolation seventh place following a hard-fought 25-22 25-22 26-24 win – their only victory in this championship – over Iran’s Giti Pasand.
“We learn a lot from this tournament,” reflected Idea Khonkaen’s head coach Banjong Sombat. “This is our first appearance in the championship, while the other teams had greater experience and were strong tactically and technically. We will now begin preparing for Thailand’s Division A and Super League. We have invited two more national players, Onuma Sittirak and Nootsara Tomkom, to join our team. We also plan to sign North Korean setter Min Ok-ju and compatriot Jong Jin-sim, who was top scorer in this tournament.”
