Hangzhou, China, July 4, 2023 – China, Japan, Thailand and Chinese Taipei continued their remarkable unbeaten streak following their straight-set victories against their respective rivals in the Classification 1st-8th Round on Day 4 of the 1st Asian Women’s U16 Volleyball Championship in Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province and the host city for the upcoming Asian Games, on Tuesday.
In-form Thailand breezed past Uzbekistan in a completely lopsided battle 25-4, 25-7, 25-7 in Pool E at Linping Sports Centre Gymnasium, extending their wins to three in succession in this inaugural championship.
Captain and opposite hitter Thatsanawan Phaibun topped the leader’s charge with 13 points from 8 attacks and 5 aces for Thailand, while Natchaya Tahae and Chanidapa Chongcharoen added 8 points apiece.
The other Pool E encounter at the same venue saw China delight home fans with their comfortable straight-set 25-13, 25-14, 25-6 win against Kazakhstan.
Promising Yang Shuming chipped in with 15 points including 10 attacks and 4 aces for China, while Han Wanshuo and Chen Xiaohui kept good company to add 13 and 11 points respectively. No Kazakh player made double-digit marker, with Violetta Volga leading Kazakhstan with 8 points on the team’s losing effort.
“We played a little bit tough in the beginning today, but later we gave it all out,” Kuang Qi, head coach of China, commented at the Mixed Zone. “The cheering home crowd was a big boost for our team. We felt their passion and enthusiasm and this helped us a lot. This is what we need as hosts.”
Jarlagassov Timur, team manager of Kazakhstan, said after the match, “Despite the loss, my girls performed well up to our level in the first two sets. But China are a very strong team. It is a good lesson to learn our mistakes from China.”
In Pool F, Japan proved too strong for Macao, China to brush off the lower-ranked rivals in one-sided affair 25-9, 25-12, 25-4 at China Textile City Sports Centre Gymnasium.
Middle blocker and captain Yukuzi Baba contributed 11 points from 7 attacks, one block and 3 aces for Japan in this match.
“We gradually improved during the whole process. However, we should have done better than this. I would give only 6 of 10 points for my team’s performance in this match. Regarding the game plan for our next match, I believe serving is very important for us. At the same time, the offensive combination, particularly our blocking and digging remains our key…
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