Nationals yield to tough Koreans

BIñAN, Laguna , Philippines  – Team Philippines put up a tough stand against South Korea but lost steam and absorbed a 23-25, 18-25, 12-25 setback in the classification round for the quarterfinals of the Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship at the Alonte gym here.

The Filipinas, drawing inspiration from the big Sunday crowd that trooped to the venue, matched the fancied Koreans’ power sans their top hitter as they pressed their bid in the first two sets. But they reeled back on miscues, particularly on erratic serves.

In fact, they outhit the Koreans in the opening set, 16-14, but committed nine errors against their rivals’ three.

Unable to clip the gutsy Filipinas, South Korea called on its top player Kim Yeonkoung, who unloaded 12 hits in a limited stint.

Kim, a member of the team that won the 2014 Incheon Asian Games gold for Turkish club team Fenerbahce, actually didn’t see much action, enabling the hosts to keep the game close in the first two sets.

But with the 29-year-old Kim in the game, the Filipinas failed to neutralize the 6-4, 161-pound outside hitter, who missed just three in her 12 attempts on attacks.

She was virtually unstoppable in the third set, hammering in spikes from all angles. Her ace gave Korea a 19-9 lead before coach Hong Sungjin pulled her out with the outcome virtually sealed.

Jaja Santiago paced the Nationals with 10 hits while Alyssa Valdez and Jovelyn Gonzaga chipped in seven markers apiece.

It was the Phl’s second straight loss after bowing to taller Kazakhstan, 23-25, 20-25, 18-25, in the group stages Friday.

The Nationals’ only win came at the expense of Hong Kong, 25-21, 25-16, 25-17, on opening day.

The Phl clashes with Southeast Asian Games rival Vietnam at 5:30 p.m. today at the close of the classification phase that would determine the quarterfinal pairings.

The Phl could face either Thailand or Japan, which are both unbeaten.

Without Kim, the Koreans appeared headed to an easy opening frame win when they moved to set point at 24-19.

But the Nationals scored the next four points on a couple of Gonzaga kills and a pair of aces by Aby Maraño to threaten within one.

That forced Sungjin to send in his best player, who unloaded a kill to preserve the set for the Koreans.

With Kim on the bench, the hosts seized control early in the second with Valdez powering the team to two three-point leads, the last at 11-8.

Hong then called on Kim again and the latter re-imposed her will to turn things around for Korea. Her powerful kill clinched the set and a 2-0 lead.

Earlier, Thailand stunned defending champion China, which sent its second team, with a thrilling 25-22, 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 15-10, win to remain undefeated.

The mighty Chinese had opted to rest their top players who anchored the team’s title romp in Tianjin, China two years ago.

Japan likewise remained unscathed after routing Chinese Taipei, 25-19, 25-16, 25-20.

Kazakhstan also stayed undefeated by bucking an opening set defeat and downing Vietnam, 21-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-20.