Tianjin Bohai Bank made history by qualifying for their first-ever FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship final. They will face Italy’s Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano, the 2022 champions, in the final at the Huanglong Sports Center in Hangzhou on Sunday, December 24, at 19:30 local time (11:30 UTC). In the earlier match, Brazil’s Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia will compete against Numia Vero Volley Milan for third place at 15:00 (07:00 UTC).
Tianjin’s Block and Li Yingying Lead Victory
In the first semifinal, Tianjin Bohai Bank overcame Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia with a solid blocking performance and an outstanding effort from captain Li Yingying. Tianjin won 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 24-26, 25-22), thanks to a stellar 32-point display by Li. Her match-winning back-row hit sealed the victory. Li Yingying dominated with a 51% success rate in spiking and added two of Tianjin’s 20 kill blocks.
Russian middle blocker Irina Fetisova contributed eight blocks and scored 17 points. Wang Yizhu and Chen Boya added 16 and 10 points, respectively. Despite Nia Reed’s 23 points for Dentil Praia, Tianjin’s defensive dominance was the key to the win. The match featured 20 kill blocks for Tianjin, compared to 11 for Dentil Praia, a decisive factor in their victory.
Tianjin’s Historic First Final: This is Tianjin’s fourth participation in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship, and they are the first Chinese team to reach the final. Their best previous result was last year’s bronze medal, defeating Dentil Praia in the third-place match.
Imoco Conegliano Cruises to the Final
In the second semifinal, Prosecco Doc Imoco Conegliano triumphed 3-0 (25-23, 25-14, 25-23) over fellow Italians Numia Vero Volley Milan. Imoco has yet to lose a set in the tournament, continuing their strong performances from previous years. They now head to their third Club World Championship final, having won gold in 2022 and silver in 2021.
Imoco’s Zhu Ting, playing in her home country, contributed 15 points, including the match-winning point. Isabelle Haak added 14 points, and Gabriela Guimaraes (Gabi) scored 12. Paola Egonu was the standout player for Vero Volley Milan, scoring 22 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
Imoco’s Title Defense: Imoco Conegliano now prepares to defend their 2022 title against Tianjin in Sunday’s gold medal match. Vero Volley Milan will compete for bronze against Dentil Praia, aiming for their first-ever medal at the Club World Championship.
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