Photos courtesy of Vietcontent
PFU BlueCats made history on Sunday after sealing comeback win against LPBank Ninh Binh in the highly-anticipated final showdown to become the first-ever Japanese club team to capture the VTV9-Binh Dien Cup Women’s Volleyball Tournament at Buon Ma Thuot City Gym in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam.
The PFU’s 3-1 (18-25, 30-28, 25-18, 25-22) upset win over the local team before an estimated 2,000 Vietnamese fans not only delighted the Japanese team for the resounding victory, but also silenced the noisy drum-beating, cheering fans inside the packed venue and after the match, many of them left with their heads low in disappointment.
It has been eight years already that no Vietnamese club team win this tournament since Vietin Bank reigned supreme in 2016. After that, foreign teams have taken center stage to emerge triumphant in this annual invitational tournament, with Thailand’s Bangkok Glass winning it in 2017, Jiangsu from China in 2018, Sichuan from China in 2019 and PFU from Japan in the current season.
Against the formidable Ninh Binh, steered by scoring machine Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen and two Vietnam national team players, middle blockers Le Thanh Thuy and Nguyen Thi Trinh, PFU, winners at the Kurowashi Tournament in Japan in 2022/23 season, fielded a strong lineup led by the 185cm-tall Cuban-born Melissa Valdes , Kisa Okuma and Aya Hosonuma.
Backed by cheering home fans, Ninh Binh made a strong start to take the comfortable first set 25-18. Valdes was the PFU’s comeback in the second set as she tore the Vietnamese intensified defence apart with her exceptional attacks for the Japanese side’s hard-fought 30-28 win.
Ninh Binh clawed their way back in the third set, with Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen on fire. Nonetheless, their efforts did not pay off handsomely. PFU still lived up to all expectations to lead commandingly 24-18 before outside hitter Anna Uemura carried out a powerful jump serve which went unanswered. The Japanese side claimed the set 25-18 to lead 2-1 sets.
The fourth set was more thrilling when both sides gave it all out to win the set. The strong visitors proved much steadier to lead with a four-point clear at 24-20. Ninh Binh put up a brave fight to win two points in a row when a powerful spike from Valdes went off the sideline and another attack from Okuma went wide.
Still, the Vietnamese delight did not last long when Valdes ended the Ninh Binh’s challenge with her aggressive attack. PFU captured the thrilling set 25-22, match and gold medal.
Melissa Valdes scored a tournament-high 37 points from 34 kills, one block and 2 aces for PFU BlueCats, while Aya Hosonuma and skipper Kiiro Omura contributed 13 and 12 points respectively. Hard-hitting Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen was the lone player who reached double digits for LPBank Ninh Binh to tally 31 points including 29 kills on the team’s loss. Le Thanh Thuy and Dinh Thi Thuy added 9 points each.
In the Classification Round for the 5th-6th places earlier, HCDG Lao Cai, strong defensively with three hard-hitting players Tran Thi Bich Thuy, Doan Thi Xuan and Thai import outside hitter Kuttika Kaewpin as the mainstays, bounced back from the first-set loss to stun defending champions Sichuan from China in hard-fought four-setter 17-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-19. HCDG Lao Cai took the fifth place in this tournament, with Sichuan in disappointing sixth position.
Kuttika Kaewpin chipped in with 21 points from 19 kills, one block and one ace for HCDG Lao Cai, while teammates Doan Thi Xuan and Tran Thai Bich Thuy contributed 17 and 16 points respectively. Skipper Miao Yiwen led Sichuan with 17 points including 15 kills and one ace.
POOL 1-4 STANDING
POOL 5-8 STANDING
ALL MATCH RESULTS
FINAL RANKING
Champions – PFU BlueCats (Japan)
Silver: LPBank Ninh Binh
Bronze: HCDG Lao Cai
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
MVP – Melissa Valdes (PFU BlueCats)
Best Middle Blockers: Aya Hosonuma (PFU BlueCats) and Nguyen Thi Trinh (LPBank Ninh Binh)
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