VTV Binh Dien Long An had what was considered the best match since the beginning of 2025 on the evening of April 26 when they defeated their Chinese opponent in the semi-finals - Photo: PVL
After the 2-3 loss to Beijing BAIC Motor in the group stage of the Asian Club Championship - AVC Champions League, not many people believed that VTV Binh Dien Long An could quickly repay their opponent after only 3 sets in the semi-final match on the evening of April 26.
Defeat Chinese opponents
Having to go through consecutive matches lasting 5 sets, the most recent being the quarter-final match against Petro Gazz (Philippines) a day earlier, greatly affected the physical strength of the Chinese team. Captain Ye Jin and his teammates were completely at a disadvantage in the endurance races.
But to be fair, VTV Binh Dien Long An performed very impressively. This is considered the best match of Thanh Thuy and her teammates since the beginning of 2025. The even playing style was shown from attack, defense to serving.
In the first set alone, the Vietnamese representative had 7 direct serves. These intentional serves aimed at the opponent's back row helped VTV Binh Dien Long An earn many important points and somewhat affected the opponent's psychology.
In defense, the girls in yellow shirts also performed impressively with tight blocking situations and reasonable position rotation. In just 3 sets, Long An had 9 block points, of which Thanh Thuy and Lijewska each had 3 block points.
The mark in the attack phase was also clearly shown when the ball from setter Kim Thoa was sent to many different addresses. It was rare for all 5 Long An attackers to "shoot" together. In just 3 sets, the points that Thanh Thuy, Nhu Quynh, Lu Thi Phuong, Lijewska and Kim Thanh scored were 17, 14, 13, 10 and 7 points respectively.
Winning convincingly against a strong candidate for the championship, VTV Binh Dien Long An entered the final match against the opponent from Kazakhstan – Zhetysu taking place at 6pm on April 27. The final match is also the most difficult challenge for coach Thai Quang Lai and his students.
Zhetysu brought 3 Ukrainian foreign players to the AVC Champions League and all played very impressively - Photo: PVL
How strong is Zhetysu?
Zhetysu is the only club in the 2025 AVC Champions League that has not dropped a set before the final day. The Kazakhstan champions came into this year's tournament full of enthusiasm, sweeping all opponents on the way to the final, including Thai champions Nakhon Ratchasima in the semi-finals.
After 10 years, Zhetysu won the national championship again to qualify for the AVC Champions League. That is the reason why this team invested heavily in its force when bringing to the tournament 3 Ukrainian foreign players who all played very impressively: setter Daria Sharhorodska and the main attacking duo Karina Denisova and Yuliya Dymar.
The two main attackers mentioned above, along with number 16 Tatyana Nikitina, create a quality backline for the Kazakhstan representative. Although no player is in the top scorers of the tournament, the versatile and even playing style with 3 good scoring attackers is Zhetysu's formidable weapon.
In the front row, the middle blocker pair Yakutina (1m89) and Anikova (1m84) form an effective defensive shield. This duo are both in the top block, in which Yakutina is in the lead with 18 block points, far surpassing the second place Shan Lanfeng (12 block points).
The final match will certainly be a huge challenge for Thanh Thuy and her teammates when facing a Zhetysu with a versatile playing style and impressive physique. However, if they maintain good form like what they did in the semi-finals, the opportunity is still completely open for VTV Binh Dien Long An.
With a guaranteed ticket to the FIVB World Club Championship 2025, the girls of VTV Binh Dien Long An can enter the final match with a relaxed mentality, ready to face the final challenge.
The World Volleyball Club Championship, which takes place every December, is at high risk of overlapping with the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand. If the FIVB does not change the schedule, VTV Binh Dien Long An will likely participate in the tournament without its strongest squad, as many important players have to compete for the national team, such as Thanh Thuy, Khanh Dang, Kim Thoa and Tra My.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gi-trong-cuoc-doi-dau-giua-vtv-binh-dien-long-an-voi-zhetysu-tai-chung-ket-avc-champions-league-20250427075732316.htm
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