India and Iran defeated their respective opponents to advance to the Battle for Fifth Place in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women on Tuesday afternoon at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.
The Indians recovered from a tough second-set loss to overcome the hard-fighting Indonesia, 25-16, 30-32, 25-20, 27-25.
Meanwhile, the Iranians bounced back from a setback in the third set to fend off Hong Kong, 26-24, 26-24, 19-25, 25-18.
The Iran-India match will be held tomorrow at 1:00 PM, while Hong Kong will take on Indonesia earlier that day at 10:00 AM in the seventh-place game.
Anusree Kambrath Poyilil led the Indians with a game-high 21 points on 19 attacks, one ace, and a block.
Meanwhile, Soorya Soorya contributed 18 points, built on 16 attacks and two kill blocks, in the one-hour, 53-minute contest.
Team captain and playmaker Kovat Shaji Jini orchestrated the balanced offensive strategy and showcased her scoring prowess with 13 points. Shaalini Saravanan and Radhakrishnan Anagha added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“Indonesia played well today. We focused on our defense and reception. They gave us a tough fight,” said Jini.
On the opposing side, Junaida Santi and Bela Sabrina Agustina scored 24 and 21 points, respectively, as the Indonesians dropped to the seventh-place match.
Aytak Salamatgharamaleki powered Iran with a game-high 26 points on 24 attacks, one ace, and one block.
“First, congratulations to our team, our players, and coach. They were great today. Hong Kong is a great team. This win is significant for us,” said Salamatgharamaleki.
“India is a strong team. I hope we can execute our plans and win the game,” she added.
Shaghayegh Hassankhani and Reyhane Karimi added 14 points each, while Hedieh Taleifarkhondeh chipped 12 points.
In another match, Chinese Taipei overcame a tough challenge in the opener before dominating Singapore in straight sets, 27-25, 25-10, 25-10, to secure a ninth-place finish.
