China Vietnam women's team Sport Center I lost 0-3 to Turkish club VakifBank Spor Kulubu in the opening match of the 2023 Volleyball Club World Cup.
The result of the match this afternoon, December 13, in Hangzhou, China, was predicted in advance when VakifBank Spor Kulubu (VSK) is the world's leading club. The number one team in Türkiye has won the world championship four times in 2013, 2017, 2018, 2021 and has always been in the top three teams in the last six editions.
VSK currently has the best players from Brazil, the US, and Türkiye. The most prominent are Brazilian striker Gabriela Guimaraes, Turkish middle blocker Zehra Gunes, and American counter-setter Jordan Thompson.
VakifBank Spor Kulubu is the strongest volleyball club in the world. Photo: VSK
Against an opponent far superior in size and skill, Vietnam only created a surprise in the first set when it was tied at 5-5. After that, VSK dominated the game thanks to their versatile setters, scoring 13 attack points, while the blockers with the 1.98m-tall Gunes brought home six points. In addition, their good serving ability also brought VSK three points and clearly exposed Vietnam's weakness in the first step. The first set ended with a 25-10 victory for VSK.
The second and third sets were played with the same score, helping VSK win 25-15 and 25-13 respectively. VSK scored 42 attack points, 19 block points, and four serve points. Vietnam's numbers were 24, three, and one respectively. The only equal number was individual errors, with each team losing 10 points.
The bright spot for Vietnam was Vi Thi Nhu Quynh, who scored 15 of the team's 38 points, accounting for 39.5%. Meanwhile, VSK had four players scoring over 10 points: Zehra Gunes (14 points), Gabriela Guimaraes, Jordan Thompson (12) and Alexandra Frantti (11).
Vi Thi Nhu Quynh is the best Vietnamese athlete playing against VakifBank Spor Kulubu. Photo: AVC
Tomorrow, December 14, Vietnam will face Dentil Praia Clube – the second strongest club in Brazil – which is also the last opponent in Group B. However, coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet and his team still have a chance to play more fairly.
Vietnam is looking forward to the tournament with a relaxed mindset as they are determined to compete and exchange skills with the world's top athletes. The team qualified for the tournament by winning the Asian Club Volleyball Championship in June 2023. The team will travel to Hangzhou, China to compete with coach Nguyen Tuan Kiet and familiar players. The most regrettable absence is that of striker Tran Thi Thanh Thuy, who is playing with the PFU BlueCats in Japan.
The FIVB Club World Championship will be held from December 13 to December 17, with six teams divided into two groups. The teams will compete in a round robin format, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals. The remaining group includes Eczacibasi Dynavit Istanbul (Türkiye), Gerdau Minas (Brazil) and Tianjin Bohai Bank (China).
Hieu Luong
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