THAILAND SET UP FINAL SHOWDOWN WITH INDIA AT “PRINCESS CUP”

Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, May 16, 2018 – Thailand made a step closer to retaining their title as the host side downed Kazakhstan 3-1 to advance to the final showdown of the “Princess Cup” 20th Est Cola South East Asian Women’s U17 Volleyball Championship at the Nakhon Pathom Sports Centre Gymnasium on Wednesday.

The dramatic 25-9, 23-25, 25-13, 25-18 victory over Kazakhstan has earned Thailand a final berth which they are due to go up against unbeaten India in the climax.

Wiranyupa Inchan scored a team-high 18 points including 13 attacks and 5 ace serves. Saowapha Soosuk assisted 16 points including 13 kills from 16 attempts. Kristina Strukova led Kazakhstan with 10 points.

Thailand showed flawless performance in the first set when they quickly took the totally one-sided affair 25-9. Going down one set, the Kazakhs improved their game to put the pressure on the host side. Things worked out pretty well for the visitors who performed superbly to seal the hard-fought second set 25-23.

Locked in a fierce contest in the second set, Thailand opened up with aggressive attacks in the third set, with Wiranyupa Inchan and Saowapha Soosuk taking turns penetrating the rivals’ defence with exceptional attacks to claim the next two sets 25-13, 25-18 and match.

“We played well in the first set, so I rested my best players and instead fielded the bench players to perform in the second set. I just let them confront some pressure and seek solutions. We are happy to get through to the final,” Thailand head coach Chamnan Dokmai said after the match.

“To play India in the final match, I think they are a good team with big spikes. But their movement is quite slow, so we try to use our combination plays with drop shots. We will try our best to beat them and keep the title at home,” he added.

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