Japan showed up when it mattered and upended Vietnam in four sets, 25-17, 25-22, 34-36, 25-10, to move into the battle for the championship in the 2022 PNVF AVC Cup for Women, Sunday evening at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
Mizuki Tanaka proved strong against the taller Vietnamese blockers, ending with 19 attacks, to go with one block and one service ace. Yuki Nishikawa added 19 markers — six of which came in that close-out fourth — on 16 spikes, two blocks, and three service aces.
Nishikawa shared that they just shook off that third-set meltdown and started the fourth set with renewed energy. She said, “We weren’t too sad about losing the fourth set. But then for the fourth set, we were like ‘Let’s go! We need more energy.’ and put more power on the plays, and just really focus on the set.”
That mindset eventually saw the Hinotori Nippon mount a huge advantage in the…
