Aranmare Yamagata (Japan) stopped in the quarterfinals of the VTV Cup 2024 international women's volleyball tournament after losing 0-3 to Kuanysh (Kazakhstan) on the afternoon of August 29.
After the match, the coach of the Japanese representative Tsutomu Kitahara praised his opponent.
"I think Korabelka (Russia) and Kuanysh are the two brightest candidates for this year's championship," Mr. Kitahara told Lao Dong reporter.
"Kuanysh has a physical advantage over us. Moreover, their playing style is cohesive and harmonious. For me, player number 22 (main striker Sana Anarkulova) is the most dangerous name. Not only that, they also have a great defense and really bring us a big challenge."
Aranmare Yamagata Club had a tough time against Kuanysh in the quarterfinals. In the first set, they were completely deadlocked by their opponents, losing 10-25. But in the next two sets, with reasonable adjustments from head coach Kitahara, Aranmare only lost narrowly with a score of 22-25.
In the third set, the Japanese team was very close to winning, but Kuanysh's bravery helped them save 3 set-points and win the match 3-0 (25-10, 25-22, 28-26). This result left a lot of regret for Aranmare.
Stopping at the quarter-finals, Kitahara and his team will enter the qualifying match with Paint Masters (Philippines) at 12:00 on August 30.
