Kazakhstan Advances to Semifinals for the Fourteenth Time

Pavlodar Volleyball Club (Kazakhstan) secured a spot in the semifinals by defeating their Afghan opponent in the second quarterfinal match.

According to the Communications Department of the Volleyball Federation, the quarterfinals of the 26th Asian Men’s Volleyball Club Championship continued today (Thursday, September 12) with four matches taking place at the dedicated Shahdad Yazd Sports Hall.

Both Pavlodar Volleyball Club and Kam Air (Afghanistan) entered the match with one win and three points from the group stage. The Kazakh representative triumphed with a score of 3-0, clinching the sets at 25-20, 25-13, and 25-22, making them the second team to advance to the semifinals.

In the first set, the teams engaged in a closely contested battle; however, the Kazakhs pulled ahead towards the end, winning the set 25-20.

During the second set, Kam Air demonstrated solid defense initially, but several service errors allowed Pavlodar to dominate and close out the set with a significant lead of 25-13.

In the early moments of the third set, Kam Air led by two to three points. However, in a tight and intense competition, Pavlodar emerged victorious again with a score of 25-22, securing their place in the semifinals.

As a result, the Kazakh team will face the winner of the match between Shahdad Yazd and the Iraqi representative in the next round. Meanwhile, Kam Air will continue their campaign aiming for fifth to eighth place.

The match was officiated by Iranian referee Ebrahim Firouzi and Kuwaiti referee Faisal Alshamiri. Approximately 300 spectators attended the event at Shahdad Yazd Sports Hall.

At 5 PM, Shahdad Yazd (Iran), leading Group A with three wins and nine points, will compete against Gas Al-Janoob from Iraq in the third quarterfinal match.

This marks the fourteenth time that Kazakhstan’s volleyball representatives have reached the semifinals in this tournament. In their previous thirteen appearances, they achieved one championship title, four runner-up finishes, three third-place awards, and five fourth-place results.

The match between Pavlodar and Kam Air lasted 73 minutes, setting a record for the shortest time taken to defeat an opponent in this tournament. Prior to this match, Foolad Sirjan and Kam Air lasted 76 minutes, while Shahdad Yazd’s game against their Kuwaiti opponent took 80 minutes during the group stage.