Pasig City, Philippines, April 26, 2025 – Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu VC confirmed their slot in the finale of the 1st AVC Women’s Volleyball Champions League after a straight-sets win, 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-21) over Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC in the semifinal showdown on Saturday afternoon at the PhilSports Arena.
Captain Karyna Denysova led all scorers on the board with 14 big points expressed the challenge of facing a tough Thai team. “This is really good Thai club team. They are champions as well, and it was really hard to play against them. The score reads 3-0 but it was not easy. They defended well and they were fighting,” she said.
Captain Onuma Sittirak led the charge for the Thai club, with her leadership and attack prowess on display. Setter Soraya Promla ran the offense utilizing every available hitter on the floor.
The Kazakh side, fully knowing their opponents’ breadth and capacity, imposed their strength in the frontline, lining up their blocks solidly and effectively. When the ball would go through the block, the backcourt were equally ready to cover. Their opponents tried to find a workaround to the tall blockers, and later suffered from attack miscues.
Zhetysu VC added another asset to their game. They served more strategically which set off the passing accuracy of their opponents. When the ball crossed over to their side, they played steadily to launch a good counter. Yuliia Dymar and captain Karyna Denysova posted their attacks to help boost the Kazakh club’s performance.
Nakhon Ratchasina QminC VC fought hard to tie the match. They patiently played through each sideout, with Sasipaporn Janthawisut and Anyse Smith delivering in clutch plays. In the end, they were unable to break through the tight Kazakh block and lost grip of the second set.
Valeriya Yakutina and Kristina Anikonova stood firm and steadfast at the middle, connecting in both attack and block. They spelled the difference for Zhetysu VC in the third set, which made their service errors somehow forgivable. Their opponents from the Thai club tried to come close and equalized at 20-20. The Kazakh side surged and never looked back. They played to their maximum in attack and more notably in defense, to help seal the victory in straight sets.
“I’m really proud of my girls, my team. They really worked hard mentally, believing and thinking that winning every ball can be possible,” the captain Denysova added.
Zhetysu VC now await the winning team between VTV Binh Dien Long An (VIE) and BAIC Motor Volleyball Club (CHN) to complete the finale matchup scheduled on Sunday at 19:00 Philippine time. With Saturday’s victory, the Kazakh club have qualified for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship
Follow the Competition Page for the full schedule, results, and photos.
QUICK LINKS
AVC Website: click www.asianvolleyball.net
AVC Facebook: click www.Facebook.com/AsianVolleyballConfederation
AVC Twitter: click: www.twitter.com/AsianVolleyball
AVC Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/avcvolley/?hl=en
Mikasa Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/mikasasports_official
AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.