Gresik, East Java, Indonesia, June 18, 2023 – India fought through a slow start to later ignite a 3-1 victory (13-25, 25-16, 25-22, 25-14) against Australia in Pool C of the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup for Women on Sunday evening at the Tri Dharma Petrokimia Gresik Gymnasium.
Kambath Poyilil Anushree unleashed a total of 20 attacks as India’s chief scorer, to lead all players on the board. Captain Nirmal contributed another 14 markers in the victory.
Australia went off to a strong start, unleashing their power from the service line. They scored off a total of nine (9) aces, which dictated their momentum and dominance in the first set. They also ran their blocks well enough to contain their opponents’ attacks.
The Australian side ran their plays from the flank, relying heavily on outside hitter Annelies Jones, who scored 19 points in the match.
By the succeeding sets, India looked more in form, running their plays more seamlessly and more confidently, as they seemed to have locked into system, all the way to winning in four sets.
Head coach Chauhan Pritham Singh knew from the start that he just needed to be confident with his players’ capabilities.
“We struggled a lot in the first set. We mostly crumbled in the first pass, and when that crumbles, everything else will crumble.
“This team can play volleyball, but they still have to master how to win. They are good in their skills but of course, they still make mistakes. And yet, they never lost their confidence. I just allowed them to play and I was just optimistic because I’ve been working with them for some time,” he said.
Sunday’s four-set match completed Pool C of the Preliminary Round, as teams now await their respective match-ups for the cross-over classifications with Pool A on Wednesday, June 21.
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
AVC Youtube: click: Asian Volleyball Confederation
AVC WeChat: Asian Volleyball Confederation