AVC: Nakhon outlasts PLDT, faces Creamline in KO quarterfinal
Nakhon Ratchasima in a game against PLDT High Speed Hitters in the AVC Champions League. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.net
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Nakhon Ratchasima swept the Pool D of the AVC Champions League to forge a quarterfinal match against Philippine champion team Creamline.
Its latest win came from a marathon 26-24, 25-20, 20-25, 20-25, 15-9 victory over PLDT on Tuesday at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
“I wasn’t scared at all in the rallies, I just wanted to control our team to come back and concentrate,” Onuma Sittirak said through a translator after leading her crew with xx points.
The Thais have also wiped out winless Queensland Pirates before outlasting the High Speed Hitters, who pushed the visiting team to an all-or-nothing fifth frame.
PLDT High Speed Hitters’ Savi Davison during the AVC Champions League. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
PLDT, meanwhile, will have another mammoth challenge in the quarterfinals, battling Kazakhstan’s Zhetysu VC, which won all of its games for the top seed of Pool A.
READ: AVC Champions League: PLDT caps dominant start for PH clubs
“Creamline is a champion of the Philippines, we are a champion in Thailand also so we are ready to fight any team,” Sittirak said.
The six-time champions were led by Anyse Marlee Smith, Evangelia Chantava and Sittirak while Yuka Makimori did her job well on the defense.
The High Speed Hitters, despite falling short, had Savi Davison and import Wilma Salas churning out big numbers but the breaks of the game benefited the visiting crew.
“Same nung bago mag-Thailand [ang mindset]. Alam naman naming high level, malakas and all. Pero bilog pa rin naman bola. Tulad ngayon, wala naman nag-expect na [humabol kami ng dalawa] pero umabot kami sa dulo,” coach Rald Ricafort said.
“So tingnan ulit namin kung saan aabot against Kazakhstan. Pero definitely ilalabas and tatrabahuhin namin. So tingnan natin sa Thursday,” he said.
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