In the group stage, Jiangsu was the only team to win all 3 matches. They successively defeated VTV Binh Dien Long An, Binh Chung Thong Tin with the same score of 3-1 and surpassed VietinBank 3-0. Coach Shi Hairong's team won 9 sets, only lost 2 sets, scoring a total of 257 points.
Meanwhile, LPB Ninh Binh ranked 2nd in Group B. They won against Suwon City 3-1, lost to Gunma Green Wings 1-3 and won against Hanoi Tasco Auto 3-1. In the last match, they overcame Hanoi Tasco Auto in the context of the opponent using a young squad in the last 3 sets, after having early tickets to the semi-finals with the top spot in the group.
Jiangsu has affirmed its championship ambition in this year's tournament by bringing a quality, uniform, and ideally physiqued squad. With 11 athletes over 1.80m tall, including 5 over 1.9m, Jiangsu's blocking line played very well, discouraging many top Vietnamese hikers.
Besides, their attacking ability is very scary with smooth, diverse combinations, not dependent on any individual. Opposite hitter Zhou Yetong is the athlete who scored the most points for the team in the group stage with 42 points, far behind Thanh Thuy (65 points) or Kuttika (63 points).
However, Jiangsu's greatest strength is uniformity when they have a series of other formidable scoring athletes such as Fan Boning, Shi Jiayi, Wei Yishan... With this framework, the Jiangsu team is rated much higher than LPB Ninh Binh.
As for LPB Ninh Binh, they are possessing a fairly quality squad with Thai foreign player Kuttika, combined with reputable domestic players such as Dinh Thi Thuy or Nguyen Thi Uyen. Among these, Kuttika, Dinh Thi Thuy or Nguyen Thi Uyen are all in the Top 11 athletes who scored the most points in the group stage.
However, the playing style that coach Thai Thanh Tung's team showed is not really convincing. This experienced strategist has not been able to help the team maintain stability in the playing style throughout the matches. They are still clumsy in the attacking and defensive combinations on the net.
Put on the scale, Jiangsu is rated slightly higher than LPB Ninh Binh. If they want to create a surprise, LPB Ninh Binh will have to improve many things from the first step, blocking on the net as well as attacking more diversely.
The Jiangsu vs LPB Ninh Binh match will take place at 8:00 PM on May 20 at Tay Ninh Gymnasium.
