Press release

Doha, Qatar, October 11, 2011 – Azerbaijan’s Rabita Baku used a 16-0 block advantage to defeat Thailand’s Chang Bangkok 25-19, 21-25, 25-15, 25-17 on Tuesday during Pool B of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship being held in Doha, Qatar.

The match marked Rabita Baku’s first contest in the tournament, while Chang Bangkok concluded pool play with a 0-2 record. Rabita Baku wrap up pool play on Wednesday at 3 p.m. versus Brazil’s Sollys Nestle Osasco (1-0). Both Rabita Baku and Sollys Nestle Osasco have qualified for the semifinals on October 13 regardless of the final pool match results as the top two teams in each of the two three-club pools advance.

Rabita Baku was sparked by Natalya Mammadova’s 20 points, while Sanja Starovic contributed 18 points and Natasa Osmokrovic 14 points. Mammadova and Starovic each tallied five blocks in the victory. Chang Bangkok was paced by Wilavan Apinyapong’s 16 points, while Onuma Sittirak totaled 13 points.

Rabita Baku possessed a 12-centimeter average in height advantage among the starting lineups to control the net action. Rabita Baku managed a 56-49 edge in attacks. Chang Bangkok held a 5-4 advantage in aces.

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Rabita Baku scored the first three points of the opening set with kills from Sanja Starovic and Natasa Osmokrovic around a block by Natalya Mammadova. Rabita Baku reached the first technical timeout leading 8-4 as four players contributed to the scoring. Amporn Hyapha served an ace off the net to close the deficit to 9-7. Mammadova and Osmokrovic increased Rabita Baku’s lead with consecutive attacks at 14-9. After a Chang Bangkok timeout, Mammadova hammered another attack to cap a 4-0 scoring run at 15-9. Mira Golubovic and Osmokrovic contributed back-to-back spikes to improve the advantage to 17-10. Chang Bangkok knocked three points off the deficit after Rabita Baku committed an error and Wilavan Apinyapong connected for an attack at 18-14. Hyapha served her second ace to follow a Apinyahpong attack to move the deficit to 19-16. Rabita Baku rebuilt their lead to five points at 22-17 after a Chang Bangkok error. Starovic served an ace to yield set points for Rabita Baku at 24-18. Mammadova seventh point of the set ended the set at 25-19 for Rabita Baku. Rabita Baku converted 17 of 28 attacks without an error in the first set for a 61 percent on attacks.

Chang Bangkok earned an early 4-1 lead in the second set as Rabita Baku committed three straight attack errors. Rabita Baku answered with a Natasa Krsmanovic spike and Mammadova block at 4-3. Rabita Baku leveled the score at 5-all as Chang Bangkok hit wide of the antenna. However, Apinyapong slammed an attack off a double block to yield a 7-5 lead for Chang Bangkok. Pleumjit Thinkaow started a a 5-0 run with a spike followed by two attacks from Apinyapong and a Malika Kanthong ace to push Chang Bangkok’s lead to 12-6. Chang Bangkok’s advantage reached 14-7 following a Rabita Baku attack error leading to a timeout. Apinyapong served an ace out of the break to extend the lead to 15-7. Mira Golubovic served an ace to cut the deficit to 15-9. Out of the technical timeout, Onuma Sittirak connected for an attack to inch the lead to 17-9. Osmokrovic sliced the deficit to 17-11 on a cross-court winner leading to a Chang Bangkok timeout. Osmokrovic hit an attack through the middle to place Rabita Baku within three at 23-20, prompting Chang Bangkok to call timeout. Utaiwan Kaensing ended the set at 25-21 with a quick attack. Sittirak and Apinyapong each totaled six points in the second set.

Rabita Baku gained the first two-point separation in the third set at 5-3, only to have Chang Bangkok notch the next two points to even the score at 5-all. Rabita Baku took an 8-6 lead into the first technical timeout following a Starovic attack. Osmokrovic and Starovic rolled shots over the block to increase Rabita Baku’s lead to 11-7. Rabita Bakuk took advantage of a Chang Bangkok bad set and consecutive blocks from Mammadova to climb to a 16-9 advantage at the second technical timeout. Out of the break Starovic slammed an attack for a fifth straight point and 17-9 advantage. Chang Bangkok knocked two points off the deficit at 17-11. Rabita Baku controlled the rest of the set with eight of the final 12 points for a 25-15 victory.

Rabita Baku scored the first four points of the fourth set as Krsmanovic notched two points. Chang Bangkok scored the first three points out of the first technical timeout, including a Thinkaow spike and Kanthong ace at 8-7. A Chang Bangkok attack error allowed Rabita Baku to increase their margin to 13-10. Starovic served ace and Golubovic put up a block after the second technical timeout to lift Rabita Baku to an 18-12 advantage. Rabita Baku ended the set at 25-17 on a Krsmanovic attack.