Vietnamese players celebrate after winning a point during the AVC Cup match against South Korea on August 24 in Pasig, Philippines. — Photo of AVC
HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam advanced to the quarter-finals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup currently taking place in Pasig, Philippines.
The SEA Games silver-medallists, using their back-up players, still did an excellent job, defeating South Korea, mainly U19 players, 25-13, 25-13, 25-16 in the last qualification round match on August 24.
Việt Nam’s outside hitter Nguyễn Thị Uyên (13 points) and middle blocker Lý Thị Luyến (10 points) were the top scorers in the match.
Việt Nam showed consistent play throughout, setting up their offensive line carefully, with Nguyễn Thu Uyên and Vi Thị Như Quỳnh solid on the wings.
Defence was also strong, lining up their tall players and timing their blocks well enough to complete their deflections.
For the Koreans, it was a good opportunity to get their young players respond to the different contexts of the rallies. They were able to set up opposite Choi Ho-sun and outside hitter Kim Seyul on the wings. The substitute players also had their chance to score in pretty good plays.
Mostly, the young Korean team had to deal with unforced errors. They were unable to handle the finer details of key moments in transition. They were able to perform better in the third set, keeping close range of their more experienced opponents.
However, Việt Nam gained momentum, running the pipe and middle attack, to help close out the match in straight sets.
Việt Nam will rest and recover while waiting for the quarter-final match-ups against Chinese Taipei on August 27.
Coach Nguyễn Tuấn Kiệt was pleased with the result and his players' performance.
He said it was a knock-out format in the quarter-finals so the team needed to be really careful. All players must be focused and make use all of their opportunities to score points first and then find their chance to go through next round.
Earlier, Việt Nam beat Iran 25-17, 25-14, 25-11 and the Philippines 25-19, 25-17, 31-29.
Their only loss of 25-12, 25-6, 29-31, 21-25, 15-12 was to defending champion China on August 22. China topped the group with all four wins.
Despite that loss, Việt Nam's two set wins was a turning point for the team as they had never won a single set against China in the past.
The 2022 AVC Cup for Women is the seventh edition of the Asian Cup, a biennial tournament organised by the Asian Volleyball Confederation and the Philippine National Volleyball Federation. It is being held at PhilSports Arena from August 21 to 29.
As hosts, Philippines automatically qualified for the tournament, while the remaining eight teams, qualified from the 2019 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship in Seoul, South Korea.
Việt Nam's best result at the AVC was the fourth place in 2012 season. The team's last appearance here was in 2018. — VNS
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