Thailand’s Malika Kanthong scored 15 points to lead the victory over Peru on Friday morning at Tokyo Metropolitan Gym
The victory improved Thailand to 3-2, whihle Peru fell to 1-4 with the loss.
Kanthong Malika paced Thailand with a match-high 16 points. Apinyapong Wilavan added 13 and Pleumjit Thinkaow chipped in 12. Clarivett Yllescas led Peru with 12, while Carla Rueda had 10.
Thailand was strong on both serve and reception in the win, while Peru strugged on defense.The winners held an 8-5 advantage in blocks and 4-2 in aces.
A dink by Yllescas staked Peru to a 5-1 lead in the opening set. Thinkaow Pleumjit‘s spike made it 6-4. After Thailand rallied to tie the score 6-6 Peru called a timeout. Apinyapong Wilavan‘s spike put Thailand in front 8-6 at the first TTO. Elena Keldibekova sailed a serve long and Thailand moved ahead 10-8. A spike by Yllescas leveled the score at 12-12. Apinyapong’s service ace made it 14-12. Soto‘s return flew long and Thailand was up 16-12 at the second TTO. Mirtha Uribe sent a spike long to put Thailand in front 20-14 and Peru took a timeout. Thinkaow made a nice spike off an option play to make it 22-15 as Thailand closed in on the set. Kanthong‘s spike put Thailand within a point of the set at 24-17 and they closed it out 25-19 on a block by Apinyapong.
A block by Hyapha Amporn saw the Thais race to a 6-1 lead in the second set. Ruiz sent a spike into the net and Thailand led 8-1 at the second TTO. Yllescas spiked after an extended rally to make it 9-2. Thinkaow‘s spike put Thailand in front 11-5. Hyapha’s spike gave Thailand a seven-point lead at 15-8 and Kanthong‘s dink put them up 16-10 at the second TTO. Peru closed to within 16-13 on a block by Yllescas. A Rueda spike made it 18-15. Soto‘s spike moved the count to 22-18 for Thailand. A misplayed block by Peru made it 24-19 and Thailand claimed the set on a spike by Tomkom Nootsara.
Rueda fired a serve long and Thailand took a 5-3 lead in the third set. Yllescas sent another spike over and Thailand went up 10-6. Soto‘s spike made it 14-8. Thinkaow gave Thailand a 16-10 margin with a spike at the second TTO. A service ace by Alexandra Munoz took it to 20-15. Thailand called a timeout after Peru closed within 20-16. Munoz recorded another service ace for 20-17. Thailand stopped Peru’s run at 21-18 on a spike by Apinyapong. Soto‘s spike made it a one-point game at 21-20. A net infraction put the Thais up 23-20 and Kanthong took it to match point at 24-20 with a spike. Thailand captured the match 25-20 when Ortiz sent a spike wide.
