Vinh Phuc, Vietnam, May 1, 2023 – Sport Center 1, the only team unbeaten in the 2023 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, bounced back to beat Liaoning Donghua VC in the thrilling semifinal clash of the 2023 Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship at the 3,000-seater Vinh Phuc Gymnasium on Monday.
Prolific Tran Thi Thanh Thuy scored a match-high 29 points including 24 attacks and team-leading 4 blocks for Vietnam’s Sport Center 1, while Sun Xizoxuan tallied 23 points including 19 attacks and 2 blocks on Liaoning Donghua’s losing effort.
The terrific comeback 3-1 (17-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-16) win against the Chinese team not only earned Sport Center 1 their unprecedented spot in the highly-anticipated final showdown against Diamond Food Fine Chef-Air Force from Thailand, but also made history for Vietnam as it became the first time ever that a Vietnamese team made the podium in this continent’s topflight club championship. To make it to the final showdown, it means at least silver medal could be within their reach.
In the history of Asian Women’s Club Championship, no Vietnam team had made it to the Top 3 since the tournament inception in 1999. Vietnam sent their team to this championship for the first time in 2001 when they first hosted the championship in Ho Chi Minh City and home team Glay Bai Bang finished a distant 6th place. The best performance of Vietnam in this championship was the fourth place in 2011 when Thong tin LienVietPostBank went down to Zhetyssu Almaty in straight sets in the third-place playoff to end their campaign in fourth position.
In the Tuesday’s showdown, Sport Center 1 will challenge Diamond Food, the team which claimed bronze medal to their name at the previous edition in Semey, Kazakhstan last year. Either Sport Center 1 or Diamond Food win the final match on Tuesday, it will be their unprecedented title in the history of the Asian Women’s Club Championship.
Sport Center 1, fielding all Vietnam national team players in their final preparation for the next week’s 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia, remained strong offensively with the likes of powerful hitter Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who currently plays professionally with PFU Blue Cats in Japanese V. League Division 1. Also strengthening the home side were Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh, Tran Tu Linh, Dinh Thi Tra Giang and young star Vi Thi Nguyen Quynh.
Coached by highly-experienced coach Chinese Toshiaki Yoshida, Liaoning Donghua, which finished 7th at Chinese Volleyball League current 2022/23 season, also had a formidable lineup spearheaded by hard-attacking Sun Xizoxuan, Shi Bingtong and the 198cm-tall Cheng Wen, the tournament’s tallest player.
The first set was dominated by Liaoning Donghua, which took an initial lead with a 4-point advantage at 12-8, with Cheng Wen and Sun Xizoxuan effectively blocking Thanh Thuy for several times. The Chinese outfits made the most of the Vietnamese unforced attacking and blocking mistakes to storm on with aggression and consistency to take the first set 25-17.
Actually, both sides served erratically in the last three points in this set. As Liaoning Donghua were leading commandingly 23-16, a spike from Vietnamese Vo Thi Kim Thoa went wide to deliver the set point for the Chinese side at 24-16. However, Sport Center 1 saved the day when Shi Bingtong carried out a serve which went over the end line. Another serve from Thanh Thuy also went wide to eventually hand the Chinese’s 25-17 first set win.
Liaoning still gained the upper hand in the second set to lead 12-6 to silence the cheering home fans at the packed venue with their spectacular attacks and splendid combinations, but the host team gradually pulled their game together to catch them at 22-22. After that, Sport Center 1 allowed the strong visitors only one more point from Sun Xizoxuan’s aggressive attack to the back court as Thanh Thuy scored the Vietnamese team’s three points in a row to lift the team’s hard-fought 25-23 win.
Their confidence boosted after winning the second set, Sport Center 1 came up with superb form in the third set. They caught the Chinese side at 12-12, took control and broke away to lead by wide margin 23-17. Vi Thi Nhu Quynh delivered the set point for the home team at 24-17, but Wang Lujia attacked well to score one point for the Chinese team before a serve from Lin Xinyu went to the net. Sport Center 1 grabbed the third set 25-18.
Cheered on noisily by home fans, Sport Center 1 came out amazingly with gutsy display and excellent teamwork. Thanh Thuy led the Vietnamese attacks and she did not let her fans down with her exceptional form. Her powerful mid-court attacks and well-established combinations from Vi Thi Nhu Quynh’s thundering spikes and solid blocks by Thanh Thuy and Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh moved the home team ahead 13-8.
After that, the Vietnamese entertained home fans with their exceptional tactics including powerful attacks from Thanh Thuy and Vi Thi Nhu Quynh and effective blocks to extend the lead to 22-14. Sport Center 1 never looked back from then on to capture the set 25-16, match and a final berth, much to the home fans’ delight.
Hundreds of fans at the stands started to come down on the competition court, taking photos with their favorite players, shaking hands with them. The court was filled with fans and happy smiles. It seemed everything ended on a happy note.
In front of the competition venue, around 100 home fans started to line up shortly after end of the last semifinal match on Monday night, waiting patiently to buy tickets for the Tuesday’s final match between Vietnam’s Sport Center 1 and Thailand’s Diamond Food. However, Vietnamese officials said that ticket reservation will be available from 8.00am on Tuesday.
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