Defending champion Vietnam moved closer to sweeping Pool B after overcoming Kazakhstan in four sets, 25-14, 25-19, 14-25, 25-23, in the 2024 AVC Challenge Cup for Women, Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen once again shone for the Vietnamese side, tallying 30 points – including 10 in the fourth set – on 26 attacks, three blocks, and one ace.
And her performance helped propel her team to within a win of securing a semifinal spot with a 3-0 record.
Vietnam’s top player and the tournament’s reigning MVP, Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, missed her third consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury.
“I thought in the third set we didn’t play well because we didn’t have good reception,” said team captain Thuy.
“Number four (Zhanna Syroyeshkina), she has a really good serve. So we were stuck, unable to receive to execute our combinations. But after that, in the fourth set, our coach told us to stay focused,” she added.
Vietnam pulled away late in the fourth set, taking a 24-21 advantage, but the Kazakhs fought back.
Syroyeshkina scored an off-the-block hit, before Kristina Anikonova blocked Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh to narrow the lead to just one.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as Tuyen sealed the deal after 98 minutes with an off-the-block attack.
Le Thanh Thuy contributed nine points for the reigning champs, while Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh and Nguyen Thi Trinh added eight markers each in the victory.
“Really, we haven’t played against Kazakhstan in a long time, like six years. This time, when we played against them, they were really tall and strong, so they were a bit intimidating. But our team did pretty well today. I’m very proud,” said Thuy.
Vietnam aims to sweep the group phase when they face Indonesia on Sunday at 10:00 a.m. at the same venue.
On the other hand, Kazakhstan fell to 1-1 in the group.
Team captain Sana Anarkulova led the Kazakhs with 21 points, while Yuliya Yakimova had 12 in the loss.
Kazakhstan looks to bounce back against Indonesia on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
