China, Japan, Thailand remain unbeaten in Asian Junior Women’s Championship

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Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, September 15, 2010 - Defending and five-time champions Japan lived up to their billing as one of the favourites after comfortably beating off-form Korea in straight sets to continue their remarkable run in the 15th Asian Junior Women’s Volleyball Championship on Wednesday.

Japan, fielding a star-studded team which landed the 8th Asian Youth Girls’ Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in May, blitzed Korea 25-18, 26-24 25-12. After conceding the opening set, Korea, led by hard-hitting Park Jeong-Ah, who won the Best Scorer at the Asian youth girls’ meet, came to life to lead commandingly 24-19 in the second set.

However, Japan fought back bravely, with devastating left-hander Mari Horikawa in awesome form. She carried out well-placed serves to score successive four points to help the team catch up with the Koreans at 24-24 before surging ahead the tough rivals to win the heart-pounding, hard-fought set 26-24, much to their cheering supporters’ delight.

The third set turned out to be a completely lop-sided battle. Korea gave it all what they had, but their fast attacking still did not work out properly. Japan bounced back mightily with sharp cross-court spikes and scintillating blocks to send the opponents packing 25-12. Fumika Moriya topscored 14 points for Japan, with Horikawa leading the team in serving with five ace serves. Kim Eon-Hye scored the highest nine points for Korea.

After the match, Japan coach Yoshiki Ogawa expressed satisfaction with his team’s form. “I think we played well against Korea. The second set was very important to us. If we lost, the Koreans might come back and we would then struggle,” he said.

“Actually, my players had trained together in preparation for this tournament only for four days. Most of them went to play for their own clubs and their schools. During this time, there are many junior volleyball tournaments in Japan and they hardly have enough time to train with the national camp.

“Against China in our next match, I admit that a daunting task awaits my team. The Chinese are very strong with exceptional defence. Their offensive combinations are also impressive. I’m under 50 percent upbeat that we would beat them.”

With the convincing win over Korea, Japan remain invincible in the prestigious tournament. China followed suit.

The formidable Chinese, successive eight-time winners and world champions in 1995, were too good for Indonesia in straight sets on Wednesday 25-19, 25-11, 25-11, their fourth successive win of the championship.

Indonesia started strongly to lead nervous China 8-2 in the opener. However, China, spearheaded by the powerful Yang Jie, 192cm tall, clawed their ways back to win the set 25-19.

Their confidence boosted, China never looked back from then on, methodically tearing the Indonesian defence into shreds with their exceptional spikes and impenetrable defence to make a clean sweep of three sets.

China’s team manager Lai Yawen said, “We played dismally in the first set and let Indonesia take a big lead at 8-2. For my girls, it was a matter of overcoming the nervousness shown earlier in the first set. After we regained our composure, we stormed on to beat our rivals.

“Against Japan in our next match, it’s hard to say that we are sure of beating them. Japan are strong with good offence and defence. I hope we play our best against them.”

Meanwhile, Thailand joined Japan and China in the elite group with invincible form.

The Asian Junior Women’s Championship in Hanoi, made it four in a row on Wednesday after mercilessly crushing hosts Vietnam in comfortable three sets 25-7, 25-10, 25-17.

Meanwhile, Chinese {-屏-|-蔽-}ei stunned Pool A winners Kazakhstan in straight sets 25-13 25-22 25-19, while Iran tamed Sri Lanka 3-0 (25-21, 25-11, 25-19). India beat New Zealand 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-14), with Australia outclassing Hong Kong 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 11-25, 15-8)

The classification round continues on Thursday. Sri Lanka take on Australia and Hong Kong play Iran in the Pool H 9th-15th, with Fiji challenging New Zealand in the Pool G 9th-15th.

In the top-eight round, Kazakhstan go up against Thailand and Vietnam meet Chinese {-屏-|-蔽-}ei in Pool E 1st-8th, while the Pool F 1st-8th sees Indonesia pit their talent against Korea and Japan take on China in what could turn out to be Clash of the Titans.

Wednesday’s results
Classification for 1st-8th and 9th-15th
Pool H 9th-15th: Australia beat Hong Kong 3-2 (21-25, 26-24, 25-20, 11-25 ,15-8); Iran beat Sri Lanka 3-0 (25-21, 25-11 ,25-19)
Pool G 9th-15th: India beat New Zealand 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-14)
Pool E 1st-8th: Chinese {-屏-|-蔽-}ei beat Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-13, 25-22, 25-19); Thailand beat Vietnam 3-0 (25-7, 25-10, 25-17).
Pool F 1st-8th: Japan beat Korea 3-0 (25-18, 26-24 ,25-12)
China beat Indonesia 3-0 (25-19, 25-11, 25-11).

xlhss1023

也就这三个有点看头

Heol

说的是亚青赛的吗？