Nakhon Ratchasima rose above a height disadvantage with a dazzling display of power and grit, pulling off a hard-fought 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Beijing Baic Motor to secure the bronze medal in the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Champions League on Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
Coming off a tough 20-25, 21-25, 21-25 setback to Zhetysu VC in the quarterfinals, the Devil Cat quickly bounced back, venting their frustrations on the Chinese side and securing back-to-back third-place finishes in the tournament organized by Sports Vision and supported by federation partners Mikasa, Mizuno and Grand Sport.
Facing one of the pre-tournament favorites boasting superior height and reach, the determined Thais leaned on their speed, superior hitting and steadfast net defense to carve out the victory and cap their campaign with a place on the podium – along with the $10,000 third-place purse.
Meanwhile, Zhetysu VC of Kazakhstan and VTV Bình ?i?n Long An were battling for the gold medal at presstime.
Bracing for a bruising battle, Nakhon Ratchasima stayed composed and unfazed, particularly after Baic Motor snatched the second set to level the match. With their bronze medal hopes hanging in the balance, the Thais unleashed a late charge in the pivotal third set, riding the momentum of a powerful offensive burst capped by back-to-back heroics from their reinforcements – a down-the-line blast by Greek spiker Eva Chantava followed by Anyse Smith’ kill block against Baic Motor’s top gun Jin Ye.
Clinging to a slim one-point lead in the fourth set, Nakhon Ratchasima leaned on Smith, Sasipapron Janthawisu, and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala, who fueled a decisive 4-0 run – helped by an attack error from Jiang Liwei – to build a crucial 16-11 cushion.
Lu Yufei’s back-to-back hits briefly reignited Baic Motor’s hopes, but Janthawisut took control for the Thais down the stretch, sealing the victory and securing another podium finish.
“This is a rebranded competition. I participated last year in Korat, and this feels like a whole new experience,” said Nakhon Ratchasima head coach Somchai Donpraiyod. “I feel so good to be here and to see the team’s performance.”
“We didn’t reach our ultimate goal, but we still achieved something we can feel proud of,” said Smith.
Chantava delivered a stellar triple-double performance, tallying 22 points on 19 attacks and three kill blocks, alongside 12 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions for Nakhon Ratchasima.
Smith contributed 16 points and 13 excellent digs, while Janthawisut shone on both ends with 14 points. Tichakorn Boonlert and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala added 10 points apiece for the Thai squad.
Nakhon Ratchasima topped Pool D with a 2-0 record before dispatching Creamline in the quarterfinals. However, the Thais appeared to run out of steam against the Kazakhs in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, Jin bounced back from a six-point struggle in a straight-sets loss to VTV Binh Dien Long An on Saturday, exploding for 23 points and 14 excellent digs for Baic Motor.
Shan Lanfeng also impressed with 17 points built on 14 attacks, two aces, and one block, along with 11 excellent digs, while Yufei chipped in 13 markers, eight digs, and eight receptions.
Statistically, Nakhon Ratchasima outclassed Baic Motor where it mattered most. The Thais pounded out 67 attack points against the Chinese squad's 50 and dominated at the net with a 9-6 advantage in blocks.
While service reception remained a challenge – they yielded five aces against just one of their own – they capitalized smartly on Baic Motor's errors, raking in 25 free points compared to their 19 unforced errors.
Baic Motor, still reeling from a stunning semifinal loss to Vietnam’s VTV Bình ?i?n Long An, rallied strong in the second set but simply couldn't match the Thais' relentless pace, precision and composure in the last two sets.
Baic Motor still pocketed $5,000 for finishing fourth in the tournament, supported by local partners PLDT, MWell, Eagle Cement, Rebisco, Akari, Gameville, PNVF, PSC, Cignal, and The Look Group.
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