Vietnam meets Japan in the semi-finals of Asian women's volleyball

After the final round of the second round on the evening of October 5, Vietnam will meet Japan, while Thailand will face China in the semi-finals of the 19th Asian Games women's volleyball.

Vietnam and China have already secured their place in the semi-finals, so the match at Hangzhou Normal University Gymnasium on the evening of October 5th is only to determine the first and second place in Group E, round two. Coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet let his main team play the first half but could not create any breakthroughs and lost easily 13-25.

China has a team with outstanding height, with eight out of 12 players over 1.89m tall - notably main striker Yuan Xinyue (2.02m). The home team almost only needs to hit the ball to score, while Vietnam has difficulty getting around the opponent's block.

Vietnam could not keep up with China's 2.02 m tall Yuan Xinyue (No. 1).

Faced with that situation, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet decided to leave out striker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, setter Doan Thi Lam Oanh and middle blocker Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh, in order to focus on the semi-finals. Players who rarely played such as Pham Thi Nguyet Anh, Vo Thi Kim Thoa, Doan Thi Xuan, Ly Thi Luyen and Vi Thi Nhu Quynh were allowed to enter the field. On the opposite field, China also rotated their players, but the difference in skill level helped them continue to win easily 25-13 and 25-11.

Despite the defeat, Vietnam still made history by reaching the volleyball semi-finals of an Asian Games for the first time. Previously, the best result for women was sixth place in 2018, and for men, seventh place in 1990.

Key players such as Tran Thi Thanh Thuy (middle), Doan Thi Lam Oanh (left) and Hoang Thi Kieu Trinh (number 11) will focus on the semi-final match against Japan tomorrow, October 6.

In the semi-finals tomorrow, October 6, Vietnam will face Japan - the team that beat Thailand 3-0 with the scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-13. The last time the two teams met was for the bronze medal at the 2023 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship in early September. The two teams had to go into the fifth set before Japan's experience came to the rescue to win 3-2.

The Japanese squad does not have a physical advantage, with the tallest player being Haruyo Shimamura – 1.82 m. However, they use flexible tactics and have a strong defensive ability, with good first steps and second passes.

Hieu Luong

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