The Americans out blocked Thailand 17-6 en route to a four-set victory at Matsumoto |
Matsumoto, Japan, October 29, 2010 – World Grand Prix champions the United States got off to a winning start at the World Championship on Friday, but they had to fight hard before overcoming Thailand 3-1 (23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 25-21) at Matsumoto City Gymnasium.
Destinee Hooker led five Americans in double digits with 28 points. Jordan Larson contributed 13 points, Logan Tom and Foluke Akinradewo each registered 12 tallies and Heather Bown added 10 including six blocks. Onuma Sittirak topped Thailand with 18 points while Pleumjit Thinkaow and Amporn Hyapha charted 11 and 10 respectively.
The Americans took time to get up to speed – they dropped three points from service errors early on – but were able to go out in front for the first time at the first technical timeout on a spike by Jordan Larson. Another Larson shot gave the Americans a two-point lead at 12-10, but they couldn't shake the resilient and nimble Thais off. A couple of canon shots by 193-cm Destinee Hooker kept the pressure on, but the Thais – led superbly by setter Nootsara Tomkom – pulled even before going ahead on a fabulous block by Pleumjit Thinkaow on Tom Logan. Onuma Sittirak then took control for the Thais with some thunderous shots as the set drew to a close. Amporn Hyapha brought setpoint at 24-22 with a spike through the American block and after Foluke Akinradewo responded with a decent shot of her own, Sittirak fired an absolute thunderbolt to clinch the set.
Despite more service errors at the beginning of the second set, the Americans had the early advantage, with Hooker and Akinradewo landing some good spikes. They were two points up at the first TTO and coach Kiattipong Radchatagriengkai had to call a timeout after successive blocks put his team four points behind. Blistering shots by Malika Kanthong and Pleumjit, and a stupendous block by Tomkom on Logan gave the Thais hope, but the Grand Prix champions were starting to find their range and using their height advantage, and the Thai team were finding it hard to resist. A wide serve by Apinyapong brought setpoint and a first-time hit at the net by Alisha Glass levelled the set score at 1-1.
The Thais fell behind again at the start of th
e third set and Kiattipong had to call a timeout at 1-5. That steadied the Thai ship for a while and Thailand pulled to within a point at 11-10. Sittirak tried hard to keep her team in the game, but the Americans' big hitters – Hooker and Akinradewo – kept them ahead. The margin was still only two points at the second TTO and the Thais were fighting hard, with Sittirak at the center of things. But the Thais needed to cut down on their errors – particularly spiking errors – if they were to have a chance of matching the USA. But that didn't happen. After being only a point adrift at 15-14, the Thais could only manage three more points in the set, the end coming when Sittirak slammed one of her trademark power serves into the net.
But after a quick break, things were different. The Thais played disciplined Volleyball at the start of the fourth set and dug in hard defensively. Apinyapong, Kanthong and Sittirak all contributed and the team showed greater unity as they edged out to a one-point lead at the first TTO. A sensational block by Apinyapong on Akinradewo put Thailand three points clear at 11-8 and suddenly the Americans had a fight on their hands. Two good blocks on Sittirak put the United States back in the game and they were back in front at 16-15. There wasn't more than a point in it from 15-14 to 22-21, but then two blocks by Heather Bown gave the USA matchpoint and another block by Jordan Larson on Sittirak ended the Thais' brave resistance.
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