Photo from Volleyball Philippines Twitter
MANILA, Philippines—Saipa Tehran held off Team Rebisco in four sets, 26-24, 22-25, 25-13, 25-17, for its first win in the group stage of the 2021 AVC Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship Sunday at Terminal 21 in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Saipa, the reigning Iran Super League champion, moved to the third spot of Group B with a 1-2 record and will now face Zhetysu VC, which won four straight titles in the Kazakhstani women’s volleyball league, in the quarterfinals.
Team Rebisco, meanwhile, dropped to 0-3 and will take on host team Nakhon Ratchasima Qmin VC in the quarters.
Saipa built a 22-14 lead late in the set before Eya Laure mustered two straight kills to put Team Rebisco within six, 23-16.
Mona Ashofteh, however, quelled any comeback hopes for the Philippines as she blocked Laure to put Saipa at match point, 24-17. She then finished things off with a strong down-the-line kill.