DAY 1 WRAPUP
Tehran, Iran, May 14, 2022 – Former seven-time champions and hosts Peykan and formidable M. Shahdab Yazd registered their first wins in the 2022 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship at Azadi Hall here on Saturday.
The one-week championship featured eight teams to vie for top honor and the lone berth on offer to represent Asia in the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship.
Tehran Peykan (Iran), Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC (Thailand), South Gas Sports Club (Iraq) and Suntory Sunbirds (Japan) are in Pool A, while Pool B consists of Al-Rayyan (Qatar), Taraz VC (Kazakhstan), M. Shahdab Yazd (Iran) and Erbil Sport Club (Iraq).
The curtain-raisers between Japanese V.League winners Suntory Sunbirds and the 2020-2021 Thailand League winners Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC on Saturday saw the former, strengthened by former Olympic gold medallist Dmitriy Muserskiy from Russia, outclass the latter with a convincing straight-set (25-19, 28-21, 25-16) triumph in Pool A. Muserskiy scored a match-high 16 points including 12 attacks from 20 attempts for the Japanese side.
Suntory Sunbirds will next play hosts Peykan, which captured the Asian Club title in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011, Suntory Sunbirds, Taraz VC, in their second Pool A match on Sunday, while Nakhon Ratchasima will next challenge South Gas.
In Pool B, Al-Rayyan’s high expectations to win their opening clash in Iran turned sour on Saturday when the Qatari League champions succumbed to a 2-3 (25-23, 15-25, 23-25, 25-21, 10-15) letdown at the hands of Taraz VC.
Taraz VC will next play Erbil, which lost to M. Shahdab Yazd in straight sets 25-16 25-18 25-20.
South Gas on Saturday performed a poor start and could not manage to beat hosts Peykan in Pool A. Peykan are due to next take on Suntory Sunbirds on Sunday.
The pool round-robin preliminaries continue through Monday and at the end of the three-day pool plays, teams will be ranked respectively due to their performances in each pool and quarterfinals will be held after that. The four winners will then advance to the semifinals, with the losers relegated to classification round for 5th-8th places.
The championship is being held by observing the health protocols even if it is not in a bubble system. There are also several key changes to conventional volleyball match protocol, with team handshakes, the exchange of gifts and switching court sides at the end of sets eliminated to minimize close contact between teams. The video challenge system is also used to confirm reverse, or replay specific decisions made by the officiating team.
MATCH SCHEDULE
Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC (Thailand) v South Gas Sports Club (Iraq)
Taraz VC (Kazakhstan) v Erbil (Iraq)
Suntory Sunbirds (Japan) v Tehran Peykan (Iran)
Al-Rayyan (Qatar) v M. Shahdab Yazd (Iran)
Related links of AVC
AVC Website: click www.asianvolleyball.net
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AVC Twitter: click: www.twitter.com/AsianVolleyball
AVC Instagram: click: https://www.instagram.com/avcvolley/?hl=en
AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation