Tu Thanh Thuan guides classy Sanest Khanh Hoa to straight-set win over Sichuan

06/08/2018

Chuyên mục:

Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, August 1, 2018 – Sanest Khanh Hoa made an impact at the 2018 Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship after the Vietnamese side captured a maiden straight-set 25-22 26-24 25-17 victory over China’s Sichuan at the Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium Hall B on Wednesday.

Tu Thanh Thuan led Sanest Khanh Hoa with 16 points including 12 kills from 24 attempts, while Tran Trien Chieu added 13 points. Go Shun Xiang chipped in 11 points for Sichuan.

Sanest Khanh Hoa showed tremendous courage and defensive resilience in this tough match against Sichuan, which had already suffered their first 2-3 loss at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s Long Power on the opening day.

The Vietnamese side got off to a great start to lead 6-2 in the first set, with Nguyen Quoc Doan unleashing a series of aggressive attacks. However, Sichuan regained their form. The 205cm-tall Wang Zhao Rui made use of his height advantage to come up with exceptional attacks at the net, while teammate Guo Shun Xiang and Bi Xian Hao kept their good company in the team’s attacks. Still, after levelling 22-22, Sanest Khanh Hoa did not look back, winning straight three points to take the first set 25-22.

The Vietnamese remained in awesome form with excellent combinations and attacks. China roared back with Li Rui letting loose his exceptional attacks and Wang Zhao Rui producing well-placed serves. However, Sanest Khanh Hoa remained solid in their defence to capture the see-saw set 26-24.

The third set was one-way traffic as the Vietnamese side continued their remarkable run. Their speed and movement was proving too much for the Chinese rivals who have had the dreadful Pool B following their two losses in succession in the pool.

“I’m happy that my team can beat the Chinese team for the first time. We have been training altogether for three months in preparation for this championship. The Chinese team are always strong, but we just did our best to beat them this time. There are two players in my team who joined the Vietnam national team comprising Tu Thanh Thuan and Huynh Trung Truc. This is a young team. We trained together and competed in this tournament with an aim of learning tactics from the other teams,” commented Sanest Khanh Hoa head coach Thai Quang Lai.

Yến Sào Khánh Hòa