Muharraq bounce back with vital win over Vietnam’s Sport Center 3
TDT | Manama
Email : hussianm@newsofbahrain.com
Bahrain’s Muharraq Club reignited their campaign in the Asian Volleyball Confederation Men’s Champions League with a 3–1 win over Vietnam’s Sport Center 3 in Pool D action on Monday.
After a tough opening loss to Qatar’s Al-Rayyan, the Bahraini champions responded with quality at the Panasonic Arena in Osaka, taking the match 25–21, 20–25, 25–23, 25–22.
Swedish opposite Jacob Link was instrumental, leading all scorers with 26 points, while Dutch outside hitter Maarten van Garderen added 16. Alexandre Ferreira of Poland and Bahraini international Khaled Aldwairi also made key contributions as Muharraq recovered from a second-set stumble to control the remainder of the tie.
On the Vietnamese side, Nguyen Ngoc Thuan tallied 15 points and Nguyen Van Quoc Duy chipped in 12, both from attack. Despite flashes of brilliance, Sport Center 3 — essentially the Vietnam national team in club colours — were unable to sustain pressure against Muharraq’s firepower.
The result lifts Muharraq to second in the group, level on points with leaders Al-Rayyan but behind on head-to-head. Both sides progress to the quarter-finals, while Sport Center 3 exit the competition without a win.
Muharraq’s next challenge will likely be a quarter-final clash with hosts Suntory Sunbirds Osaka on May 15. With a Club World Championship spot at stake for the tournament’s top two, Muharraq remain firmly in the hunt.
The inaugural AVC Men’s Champions League features 12 clubs across four pools, with the top two from each group advancing to the knockout stages.
Related Posts