China remains on top after first round of 16th Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship
The Women’s National volleyball team of China held on to the top slot in the first round of the 16th Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship this week. The tournament kicked off last Thursday, September 15 in Chinese Taipei with fourteen teams from the Asian region. China put on a great show and worked out a top position in Pool C by winning all its matches of the preliminary round. The squad has played three matches on consecutive days and defeated North Korea, India, and Kazakhstan. At the end of the first round, China claimed nine points and got hold of the top position in their group. The Chinese have now reserved a berth in the second round of the championship.
First match
China was challenged by North Koreans in the first match on Thursday. The contest was full of thrilling moments as China found a strong competitor. However, the runner up team at the last edition of the championship in 2009, China, managed to hinder the performance of their opponent because of their better combination of attack and defense. Wing-spiker, h*i Ruoqi, helped China with her massive attacks, while Zhang Lei proved her endeavors on defense. The Koreans were also influenced by the better physique and towering heights of the Chinese players. As a result, the girls around head coach Yu Juemin claimed success in straight sets. They won the tournament opener by posting 25-19, 25-15, and 25-15.
Second match
Following the success in the opening match, China faced off with India on Friday. China played without its main hitter h*i Ruoqi in the second match and faced a bit of difficulty in the start. The Indians took full advantage of Ruoqi’s absence and kept China under pressure for most of the game. However, the Indian team gradually lost ground as they allowed too many mistakes to creep into their game. China, on the other hand, remained remarkably consistent and soon overcame the Subcontinent tea. The Indians suffered a set-back and ended up receiving a 0-3 (20-25, 15-25, and 12-25) defeat. China's Yang Junjing clipped 15 points, while the Zhang Lei and Fan Linlin added 10 points apiece. Abraham Minimol of India led her team with 14 points, followed by Kattuparambath Reshma at 6 points.
Third match
China returned to action on Saturday and defeated Kazakhstan in their third match. The underdog team from Kazakhstan was no match for the Chinese squad on centre court. China almost doubled the Kazak ladies’ tally in kills and hitting. Kazakhstan’s game was full of reception errors and their shabby attack attempts did not shake the impressive Chinese performance. The match resulted in another straight set win for China (25-14, 25-17, and 25-13).
Next up
China is now scheduled to play two matches in the next round, with the successful team going into the quarter-finals. China is optimistic about putting together a good performance and claim their position at the top.
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