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…
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