KINKELA LIFTS AUSTRALIA TO 3-1 WIN OVER MALAYSIA

Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, May 13, 2018 – Alissa Kinkela amassed 20 points to lead Australia to a dramatic 3-1 (25-22, 27-29, 25-19, 25-16) win over fighting Malaysia on the first day of the “Princess Cup” 20th Est Cola South East Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship at the Nakhon Pathom Sports Centre Gymnasium on Sunday.

Alissa Kinkela handed Australia crucial 20 points including 12 kills from 25 attempts and 7 kill blocks, while teammate Annelies Jones added 10 points. Jia Tian Yong led Malaysia with 15 points.

Despite a tough challenge from the rivals, Australia maintained their composure to win the close opening set 25-22. Going down one set, the smaller-built Malaysians put up a good fight in the second set which saw both teams trade some good rallies to the audiences’s excitement. Malaysia tried to reduce unforced errors in the key points and their more determination bore fruits eventually when they clinched the hard-fought set 29-27.

In the following two sets, the Aussies came up in full force with excellent blocking sprees to win 25-19 and 25-16 for their first victory in the tournament.

“We are very happy with our victory. Since we arrived here on Saturday night so it was quite tough for us to learn that the competition is coming. We are looking forward to a rest day tomorrow. This is a new group. Our team started training in December, so it is a good experience to play together as a group,”said Australia head coach Roantree Myles.

“I believe we can be a strong team and we have to move forward. We have a lot to give. It is also a great experience for my players to compete in international volleyball tournaments,” he added .

Australia have a rest day on Monday and will next challenge hosts Thailand the following day.

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