Vietnam’s VTV Binh Dien Long An dug deep to overcome Chinese Taipei’s gritty Kaohsiung Taipower, squeaking out a thrilling 25-20, 17-25, 25-22, 28-26 victory to book a semifinal spot in the 2025 AVC Women’s Champions League on Friday at the Philsports Arena.
The reigning Volleyball Vietnam League champions battled through an intense, extended fourth set with team captain Thi Thanh Thuy Tran delivering clutch attacks to fend off the resilient Taiwanese squad. The decisive point, however, came under unusual circumstances – a contested net violation that ultimately tilted the match in Vietnam’s favor.
VTV Binh Dien Long An thus joined Zhetysu VC of Kazakhstan and Nakhon Ratchasima of Thailand, both of whom swept PLDT and Creamline in Thursday’s quarterfinals, in the semis set for Saturday with the winners disputing the championship on Sunday.
The Vietnamese will take on the winner of the Beijing Baic Motor–Petro Gazz quarterfinal – being played at press time – as they continue their campaign in the continental tournament organized by Sports Vision and backed by Mikasa, Mizuno and Grand Sport.
Taipower pushed the Vietnamese to the limit in the fourth set, knotting the score at 24. After Vi Thi Nhu Quynh launched a powerful hit, Wan-Yun Hsu responded with her own clutch attack to extend the frame.
A Kaohsiung error gave Vietnam match point, but Hsu struck again to tie it at 26. Vi, however, would not be denied, delivering the go-ahead spike before the controversial net violation ended the Taiwanese squad’s run.
“Taipower played really well in the fourth set – they worked as a team, and we struggled to build momentum. They kept catching up. In the end, we’re fortunate to win the match,” said Tran, who finished with 14 points, 11 excellent digs, and 16 excellent receptions in another superb all-around performance.
Lu Thi Phuong led Vietnam with 19 points on 17 attacks and two blocks, while Vi Thi Nhu Quynh added 18 points and seven excellent digs as VTV Binh Dien Long An geared up for a potential semis rematch against Pool C tormentor Beijing Baic Motor.
Nguyen Khanh Dang anchored the floor defense with 20 excellent digs and eight receptions.
Meanwhile, Taipower, which topped Pool B with an unblemished record, bowed out of the tournament supported by local partners PLDT, MWell, Eagle Cement, Rebisco, Akari, Gameville, PNVF, PSC, Cignal and The Look Group.
Hsu powered the Taiwanese side with a match-high 20 points, along with 13 digs and nine receptions. Yu-Chun Tsai recorded a triple-double – 14 points, 10 digs, and 12 receptions – while Xiao-Pei Hu and Hsin-Yu Huang chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Yu-Rou Peng and Ching Hsuan Huang each contributed eight points.
