NAKHON Ratchasima rose above a height disadvantage with a dazzling display of power and grit, pulling off a hard-fought 25-21, 21-25, 25-21, 25-19 victory over Beijing Baic Motor to secure the bronze medal in the 2025 AVC Women’s Volleyball Champions League yesterday at the Philsports Arena.
Coming off a tough 20-25, 21-25, 21-25 setback to Zhetysu VC in the quarterfinals, the Devil Cat quickly bounced back, venting their frustrations on the Chinese side and securing back-to-back third-place finishes in the tournament organized by Sports Vision and supported by federation partners Mikasa, Mizuno and Grand Sport.
Facing one of the pre-tournament favorites boasting superior height and reach, the determined Thais leaned on their speed, superior hitting and steadfast net defense to carve out the victory and cap their campaign with a place on the podium, along with the $10,000 third-place purse.
Zhetysu VC of Kazakhstan and VTV Bình Điền Long An were battling for the gold medal at press time.
Bracing for a bruising battle, Nakhon Ratchasima stayed composed and unfazed, particularly after Baic Motor snatched the second set to level the match. With their bronze medal hopes hanging in the balance, the Thais unleashed a late charge in the pivotal third set, riding the momentum of a powerful offensive burst capped by back-to-back heroics from their reinforcements – a down-the-line blast by Greek spiker Eva Chantava followed by Anyse Smith’ kill block against Baic Motor’s top gun Jin Ye.
Clinging to a slim one-point lead in the fourth set, Nakhon Ratchasima leaned on Smith, Sasipapron Janthawisu, and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala, who fueled a decisive 4-0 run – helped by an attack error from Jiang Liwei – to build a crucial 16-11 cushion.
Lu Yufei’s back-to-back hits briefly reignited Baic Motor’s hopes, but Janthawisut took control for the Thais down the stretch, sealing the victory and securing another podium finish.
“This is a rebranded competition. I participated last year in Korat, and this feels like a whole new experience,” said Nakhon Ratchasima head coach Somchai Donpraiyod. “I feel so good to be here and to see the team’s performance.”
“We didn’t reach our ultimate goal, but we still achieved something we can feel proud of,” said Smith.
Chantava delivered a stellar triple-double performance, tallying 22 points on 19 attacks and three kill blocks, alongside 12 excellent digs and 13 excellent receptions for Nakhon Ratchasima.
Smith contributed 16 points and 13 excellent digs, while Janthawisut shone on both ends with 14 points. Tichakorn Boonlert and Kaewkalaya Kamulthala added 10 points apiece for the Thai squad.
Nakhon Ratchasima topped Pool D with a 2-0 record before dispatching Creamline in the quarterfinals. However, the Thais appeared to run out of steam against the Kazakhs in the semifinals.
