Chinese volley champs anew

Tianjin Bridgestone of China expectedly crushed an inferior Accel Filipinas crew to keep the 2006 Asian Club Women’s Volleyball Championship via a sweep yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
       The Chinese mocked the Filipinas in notching a 54-minute, 25-11, 25-14, 25-17 victory.
       “This is the product of us playing together for so long,” said Chinese coach Wang Baoquan, whose wards were also unbeaten when they won the title last year. “With a very young team, we again look forward to another championship run next year.”
       Yin Na had 15 points, all on spikes, in leading the much taller and mightier Chinese, who earned 52 of their points on spikes. She was backstopped by Wang Li, who had 13, while Yang Yanan and Huo Jing made 12 and 11, respectively.
       The Filipinas were led by Mary Jean Balse with 10 points, while Michelle Laborte and Cherry Rose Macatangay each had 6.
       “My players got intimated. That’s the problem of having less exposure, ’pag nakaharap ng magaling na team nai-intimidate agad,” said Filipinas coach Dante Reyes. “But playing against that kind of team is a good learning experience for us.”
       Except for a brief moment in the third set, the match was entirely lopsided with the Chinese pounding the host team relentlessly.
       It was the fourth straight loss for the Filipinas who only have that one win against Indonesia on opening day to show. They close out against Thailand today.
       China’s victory quashed the hope of Chinese-Taipei’s Chung Shan regaining the title they won in 2004. Tournament rules state that a team that sweeps its matches is declared champion. One loss would result to a championship showdown.
       In the first game, Hisamitsu Seiyaki Springs-Japan upended Garuda-Indonesia, 25-21, 25-20, 25-22, for its second win in five games. The Indonesians dropped to 0-5.
       Yuki Kimura scored 22 points to power the Japanese, who also got 10 points apiece from Aya Mikami and Eri Tokugawa.
       Rianita Hastia and Rahayu Ratih Puspita paced the Indonesians with a combined 23 points. Ian Brion