Vietnamese secure AVC QF seat

(UPDATE) VIETNAM'S VTV Binh Dien Long An, still reeling from a blown opportunity against Beijing Baic Motor, recovered from a first-set stumble to defeat Saipa Tehran, 22-25, 25-15, 25-20, 25-15, on Tuesday and clinch a spot in the quarterfinals (QF) of the 2025 AVC Women's Champions League at the PhilSports Arena.

The Vietnamese club, which squandered a 2-0 set lead in a tough loss to Baic Motor on Monday, secured the second seed in Pool C behind the Chinese squad. They now set up a quarterfinal clash with Pool B leader Kaohsiung Taipower in the tournament supported by Mikasa, Mizuno and Grand Sport as federation partners.

"After the first set, I switched T4 (Tran Thi Thanh Thuy) to [the] opposite [side] and moved Quynh to [the] outside hitter. I also brought in Lu Thi Phuong, and that changed our fortunes," said Binh Dien Long An head coach Thai Quang Lai via a translator.

Those changes proved pivotal, as the Volleyball Vietnam League champions regained their form from the second set onward.

Though Binh Dien Long An cruised through the second set, they had to dig deep in the next two frames, relying on clutch rallies to complete the win in one hour and 50 minutes.

Thuy ignited a late surge in the third set with three consecutive hits that transformed a slim 21-20 edge into a commanding lead. The set was capped by a Saipa error from Soudabeh Bagherpour, giving the Vietnamese the 2-1 set advantage.

In the fourth, with Saipa briefly leading 12-11, Polish import Natalia Lijewska caught fire, scoring nine unanswered points to blow the game wide open at 20-12. That run sealed Saipa's fate and wrapped up group play for Binh Dien Long An with a 1-1 record in the 12-team tournament organized by Sports Vision.