Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima QminC VC salvaged a bronze finish after fending off China’s Beijing Baic Motor in four sets, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19, in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Coming off a tough 20-25, 21-25, 21-25 semifinal loss to Zhetysu VC, the Devil Cat vented their frustrations on Baic Motor, securing back-to-back third-place finishes in the tournament, which is backed by Mikasa, Mizuno, and Grand Sport as federation partners.
Clinging to a slim one-point lead in the fourth set, Anyse Smith, Sasipapron Janthawisut, and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala teamed up for a crucial 4-0 run — aided by an attack error from Jiang Liwei — to stretch Nakhon Ratchasima’s 12-11 advantage into a commanding 16-11 cushion.
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Lu Yufei momentarily halted the bleeding for Baic Motor with back-to-back hits, but it wasn’t enough. Janthawisut took charge down the stretch, steering Nakhon Ratchasima to the bronze medal in the 12-team tournament, which was also supported by local partners PLDT, MWell, Eagle Cement, Rebisco, Akari, Gameville, PNVF, PSC, Cignal, and The Look Group.
“First of all, this is a rebranded competition. I participated last year in Korat, and this is a whole new one. I feel so good to be here and to participate with the whole team,” said Nakhon Ratchasima head coach Somchai Donpraiyod.
“We didn’t reach our ultimate goal, but we still achieved something we can feel good about. We’re going home with a sense of accomplishment,” added Smith.
Greek spiker Eva Chantava delivered a stellar triple-double, finishing with 22 points built on 19 attacks and three kill blocks, along with 12 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions to lead the Thai squad.
Smith contributed 16 points and 13 excellent digs, while Janthawisut came through on both ends with 14 points. Tichakorn Boonlert and Kamulthala chipped in 10 points each to cap off the bronze-clinching victory.
Nakhon Ratchasima topped Pool D with a flawless 2-0 record, then swept past Filipino side Creamline in the quarterfinals. However, they appeared to run out of steam against the Kazakh squad in the semifinals before bouncing back strongly to clinch third place.
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On the other side, Jin Ye rebounded from a quiet six-point outing in Baic Motor’s straight-sets loss to VTV Binh Dien Long An, posting 23 points and 14 excellent digs in a losing effort.
Shan Lanfeng added 17 points on 14 attacks, two aces, and a block, along with 11 excellent digs. Meanwhile, Lu Yufei contributed 13 points, eight excellent digs, and eight excellent receptions for the Chinese side.
