On the evening of August 30 in Ninh Binh, the Vietnam women’s volleyball team secured a spot in the final of the VTV Cup 2024 International Women’s Volleyball Tournament by defeating South Korea’s Expressway Club with a commanding 3-0 victory.
Head coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet fielded the same starting lineup as in their previous 3-0 quarterfinal win against China’s Henan Club the day before. Nguyen Thi Bich Tuyen continued to play as the opposite hitter and team captain. The outside hitter positions were occupied by Vi Thi Nhu Quynh and Tran Tu Linh, while Nguyen Thi Trinh and Le Thanh Thuy took up roles as middle blockers. Doan Thi Lam Oanh was the setter, and Nguyen Khanh Dang held the libero position. Expressway’s star player, Kang So-hwi, who had suffered an injury in the previous match, managed to recover in time to participate. The South Korean team’s strength was further boosted by the presence of two foreign players, Yunieska Ribles from Cuba and Nikolova Merelin from Bulgaria.
Having already faced each other in the group stage (with Vietnam narrowly winning 3-2), both the Vietnam women’s team and Expressway came into the semifinal match with well-prepared strategies to exploit each other’s weaknesses. The Vietnamese players diversified their attacks, not solely relying on Bich Tuyen, but also utilizing the offensive capabilities of middle blockers Nguyen Thi Trinh and Le Thanh Thuy. This balanced approach allowed Vietnam to maintain a lead throughout the first set, ultimately winning 25-21.
In the second set, Expressway initially took the lead, but a series of successful attacks from Bich Tuyen and Nhu Quynh helped Vietnam level the score and eventually create a five-point gap (13-8). However, Nikolova Merelin’s powerful serves brought Expressway back into the game, tying the score at 13-13. Despite this, the consistent performances of Nguyen Thi Trinh and Bich Tuyen enabled the host team to pull ahead and win the set 25-20.
Riding high on confidence, the Vietnamese players came out strong in the third set, showcasing a variety of effective attacking strategies through Nhu Quynh, Thanh Thuy, Nguyen Thi Trinh, and Bich Tuyen. Although Expressway managed to take a temporary lead, the Vietnamese team quickly regained their footing, establishing a four-point advantage (20-16). Even as Expressway rallied to lead 22-21, the Vietnamese women displayed resilience and clinched the set 25-23, sealing the match with a 3-0 victory.
With this win, the Vietnam women’s volleyball team advances to the final of the VTV Cup 2024. Their opponent will be Russia’s Korabelka Club, who defeated Kazakhstan’s Kuanysh Club 3-1 in the other semifinal match. The championship match is scheduled for 7:30 PM tomorrow, August 31.
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