UST-KAMENOGORSK, Kazakhstan — Tianjin Bohai Bank of China taught Rebisco PSL-Manila a neat lesson on launching a full scale attack in scoring an emphatic 25-8, 25-10, 25-9 rout Saturday in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championships here.
Bringing in its starting six all through the match, the Chinese club, 10-time champion in its national leagues, relentlessly attacked the Filipinos’ weak side while declaring its side of the court a no-fly zone.
In fashioning out their second win, the Chinese assured itself of the gold medal round, while the Philippine club were relegated to battle for 5th to 8th places in the Classification round.
Backed by Asics, Grand Sport and Turkish Airlines, the Philippines’ best finish in this prestigious tourney was seventh, and it still has a chance of at least duplicating it.
“I believe in this team. I believe we have what it takes to make it, but we need to learn a lot more. Specially in playing in international tournaments,” said national head coach Francis Vicente.
He is bringing here the nucleus of the newly formed national team that will be fielded in the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Seniors later in the year.
Rebisco PSL Manila trained late Friday and studied the Chinese style but found the Tianjin Bohai club coming in full force with Yu JunWei hammering 18 points.
Xhen LiYi had 13, while Li Ying and Wang Ning each scored 11 for the Chinese who all in all dropped 44 bombs on the Filipino side which could only retaliate with 19 spikes.
Jaja Santiago and Jovelyn Gonzaga scored eight and six points, respectively for Rebisco PSL Manila, a collection of the best players from the Philippine Superliga who only got to play together here.
The Chinese club also had seven blocks against the FIlipinos’ one and its setter Yao Di issued 41 excellent sets compared to Kim Fajardo’s 34.