Japan's five hitters averaged between eight and 10 points
Montreux,
Switzerland, May 31, 2014 –Japan’s women will take on Brazil on Sunday in a
battle for fifth place at the Montreux Volley Masters, after advancing with a
3-0 (25-17, 25-16, 25-16) win over home team Switzerland on Saturday.The
Japanese offense was very diverse, with all five hitters averaging between
eight and 10 points. On the Swiss side, right side hitter Mandy Wigger was the top
scorer with 12 kills (of 24 for the team) and one ace. Despite
rotating with four outside players during the match, the Swiss found it
difficult to find a way to score on the outside. The women faced a hard start
in the game, with a significant and steady advantage for their opponents. From
the second technical timeout at 16-8, the gap remained stable until the end of
the set, with many unforced errors from both sides and displaying a rather
unorganized show. Japan closed the game on 25-17.The
second set mirrored the first, as Switzerland struggled to develop their game, closing
16-9 at the second technical timeout. Japan earned their second set with 25-16.Switzerland
kept fighting in the third set, where they looked the strongest, and as they
were down 16-12, the Swiss came back with some nice plays two points away from
the Japanese. Japan, however, didn’t let the home team go any further, as they concluded
the last set 25-16.