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Nootsara Tomkom sets the ball for Amporn Hyapha.
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VOLLEYBALL WOMEN'S GP
Dominicans prove too hot
By Preechachan Wiriyanupappong
Daily Xpress, Wroclaw
Published on July 1, 2008
A formidable Dominican Republic smashed Thailand's dream of making it two victories in a row by pulling off a dramatic 3-1 victory over the Asian side in the World Grand Prix second leg Group E at the Centennial Hall here.
After a stunning 3-2 triumph over world No 9 and former European champions Poland in front of their cheering home fans on Saturday, the Thai girls had their sights firmly set on avenging the Dominicans for the 3-0 loss to the same rivals in the curtain-raiser of last month's World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. However, Thai dreams turned into a nightmare on Sunday when they lost to the Dominicans in a gruelling 104-minute four-set thriller 19-25 26-24 21-25 22-25. "It was a tough match. My girls lost steam at the end of each set and at crucial moments. I think they have to learn from those mistakes," Thai head coach Nataphon Srisamutnak said. Dominican head coach Marcos Kwiek praised the Thai performance, saying: "Thailand played with spirit. Nataphon's girls had a strong will to win. "They are formidable and gallant. I hope they will succeed in next weekend's third leg in Bangkok." The earlier encounter between two-time champions USA and hosts Poland saw the former maintain a perfect 3-0 win-loss record to top Group E here with six points after outclassing the latter in straight sets 25-17 25-18 25-20. Dominican Republic collected five points from two wins against one loss to finish second. Thailand had four points from one win against two losses to come third, with the host side at the bottom of the standings with three points from three straight losses. After the completion of two legs, China, the USA and Brazil secured the top three positions in the overall standings, while Thailand finished tenth. The next weekend will see the third-leg of the competition, with Thailand hosting the Group G contest at The Mall Bangkapi's MCC Hall between July 4 and 6. Cuba, Germany, Kazakhstan and Thailand will test their mettle against one another in the single round-robin event.
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