HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam’s Vietin Bank finished seventh in the 2017 Asian Women’s Club Samruk Kazyna Volleyball Championship at the Boris Alexandrov Sports Palace in Kazakhstan yesterday.

The team defeated the Philippine’s Rebisco-PSL Manila in straight sets 25-13, 25-18, 25-15 in the playoff for seventh and eighth position.

The Vietnamese side also met Rebisco-PSL Manila in the qualifying round, winning 3-1.

Phạm Thị Kim Huệ finished with 16 points, leading all scorers.

“I am happy that we were able to finish the competition with this win. If we played like we did today against Chinese Taipei yesterday, then we would have finished with a higher ranking,” Huệ said according to the tournament’s website.

“I really enjoyed this competition and this city, and I hope a Vietnamese team will have another chance to play in this country,” she added.

In the first set, Huệ and Lê Thanh Thúy established a strong middle game for Vietin Bank. While Alyja Santiago and captain Rachel Anne Daquis picked up some points for the Rebisco-PSL Manila, the Vietnamese side showed a more cohesive attack. With Vietin Bank enjoying a 16-8 advantage at the second technical time-out, Rebisco-PSL made several errors, with the set ending 25-13 to Vietin Bank.

In the next set, Jovelyn Gonzaga led Rebisco-PSL’s offense and scored from the right side. Abigail Maraño and setter Kim Fajardo likewise scored off blocks, securing an 11-7 advantage. The Vietnamese side fought back with attacks from the middle, bring the set even at 12-12.

Three straight aces from Đoàn Thị Xuân brought Vietin Bank up front, 18-15, before captain Nguyễn Thị Xuân led the way to a comfortable 25-18 in the second set.

Huệ and Xuân continued playing well for her team, with Hoàng Minh Tâm providing more support from the flanks. While Daquis and Maraño kept fighting, the Vietnamese side showed better composure and secured a 25-15 win in the final set.

Last year, Việt Nam’s representative also finished seventh at the tournament.

After this event, five members of Vietin Bank including Huệ and Bùi Vũ Thanh Tuyền will join the national women’s volleyball team to prepare for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia in August. — VNS