Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, September 27, 2024 – Japan’s NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki succeeded in a reverse sweep, 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 15-10) against hosts Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC to continue their search for the title in the 2024 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship.
Friday’s victory now confirms NEC Red Rockets as one of the two AVC clubs to qualify for the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship to be held in China in December 2024.
The thrilling five-setter semifinal at the Chartchai Hall saw a battle royale between the 2016 champions (JPN) and the 2021 vice-champions (THA).
Teams looked fairly balanced as the match went underway, showing how each could measure up to the other. They both ran plays at a quick pace, yet also showed resilience in their respective backcourts. They also had reliable hitters who have shown steady play throughout the competition.
As teams fought with every sideout, Nakhon Ratchasima QminC tried to impose service pressure which somehow affected their opponents’ passing accuracy. They later gained the first set from their opponents’ unforced errors on both attack and serve.
The Japan club demonstrated how effective they could be in both first line and second line of defense. They knew they had to firm up in this aspect in the second set, seeing how strong or crafty, or both, their opponents’ hitters are. They also activated Haruyo Shimamura, who connected from several slide plays.
The home team were lightning-quick to adjust to their opponents’ level. Onuma Sittirak made crucial kills at the right flank, varying strength, speed, and angle in her attacks. Their frontline also went for a string of monster blocks to help them seal the second set to their favor.
The Japan club retaliated in the third set. Yoshino Sato improved her accuracy in attack, but more so, the team lessened their error count that hounded them earlier in the match. Moeka Kinoe also helped in making the middle attack more aggressive and more productive in terms of scoring.
NEC Red Rockets continued their momentum, dominating the fourth set in all scoring fronts. Setter Shiori Tsukada orchestrated the offense carefully, with the team playing error-free to force the decider against the home team.
The clutch plays of Sato and Ai Hirota kept the Japan club in a good position, even when the host team were quickly adjusting and bouncing back with each side-out. They kept their composure and sealed the decider to their favor.
Teams now await the results of the other semifinal between Kazakhstan’s Kuanysh VC and Vietnam’s LPBank Ninh Binh to determine the matchups for the medal round on Sunday, September 29.
Follow the Competition Page for the full schedule, results, and photos.
https://asianvolleyball.net/new/2024-asian-womens-club-volleyball-championship/
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.