Vietnam, Kazakhstan Advance to AVC Quarterfinals

Vietnam’s VTV Binh Dien Long An bounced back from a tough loss to Beijing Baic Motor by rallying past Saipa Tehran 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15 on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals of the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League at Philsports Arena.

The Vietnamese squad, which squandered a 2-0 set lead in a five-set loss to Baic Motor on Monday, finished second in Pool C behind the Chinese team.

They will face Pool B leader Kaohsiung Taipower in the quarterfinals of the tournament supported by Mikasa, Mizuno and Grand Sport as federation partners.

“After the first set, I switched T4 (Tran Thi Thanh Thuy) to opposite and moved Quynh to outside hitter,” said head coach Thai Quang Lai through a translator.

“I also brought in Lu Thi Phuong, and that changed our fortunes,” he added.

The changes sparked a turnaround as the Vietnam League champions regained momentum from the second set onward.

Though they breezed through the second frame, Binh Dien Long An had to dig deep in the next two, relying on crucial rallies to secure the win in one hour and 50 minutes.

Thuy keyed a late surge in the third set with three straight hits that turned a 21-20 edge into a decisive gap, capped by a Saipa error from Soudabeh Bagherpour.

In the fourth set, after briefly trailing 12-11, Polish import Natalia Lijewska ignited a 9-0 run to push the score to 20-12, sealing the victory and a 1-1 finish in group play.

Quynh paced all scorers with 21 points on 16 spikes, three blocks and two aces.

Lijewska added 15 points, while Thuy finished with 14 points on 12 attacks, one block and one ace, along with 13 excellent digs.

Saipa Tehran exited the tournament winless at 0-2 after also falling in straight sets to Baic Motor on Sunday.

Outside hitters Mahsa Saberi and Mahsa Kadkhoda led the Iranian squad with 11 points each, with Saberi adding 15 excellent digs.

The eight-day tournament, backed by local sponsors PLDT, MWell, Eagle Cement, Rebisco, Akari, Gameville, PNVF, PSC, Cignal and The Look Group, takes a break on Wednesday before resuming Thursday with the knockout quarterfinals.

Zhetysu VC crushes Al Naser, completes Pool A sweep

Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu VC followed up its dominant win over Creamline with a 25-10, 25-15, 25-11 demolition of Al Naser on Tuesday, sweeping Pool A in the AVC Women’s Champions League at Philsports Arena in Pasig.

The Kazakh champions controlled the match from start to finish, overwhelming the Jordanian side and wrapping up pool play with a 2-0 record to carry strong momentum into the quarterfinals.

The lopsided win also allowed Creamline to clinch the second quarterfinal berth in Pool A with a 1-1 record, thanks to its earlier victory over Al Naser.

Zhetysu head coach Marko Gršić credited the team’s preparation and confidence following Monday’s win over Creamline.

“I’m very glad because we won today and finished first in the group,” said Gršić.

“I expected the result because when I saw the Jordanian team, I knew we were better. I’m satisfied with how my team approached the game, and I’m confident we’ll be ready for the quarterfinals,” he added.

Zhetysu will face the loser of Tuesday night’s Pool D match between Nakhon Ratchasima and PLDT in Thursday’s knockout round.

Karyna Denysova led Zhetysu with 11 points and seven excellent digs, while Yuliia Dymar chipped in nine markers in the 64-minute blowout.

Denysova and Kristina Anikonova combined for a 9-0 closing run in the opening set, stretching a 16-10 advantage to a 25-10 finish to set the tone.

Tatyana Nikitina added six points and six digs, while Anikonova scored six more as Zhetysu showcased its depth and dominance in the tournament organized by Sports Vision.

Isabela Paquiardi led Al Naser with 11 points and five excellent digs, while Ilisandra Klein contributed nine.

Al Naser ended its campaign with a 0-2 record, becoming the third team eliminated from the 12-team, 10-nation tournament following exits by Australia’s Queensland and Iran’s Saipa Tehran.