FIVB OQT: Czech Republic Secures Second Victory over Mexico
On September 22, 2023, at the FIVB Olympic Qualification Tournament in Pool A Ningbo, the Czech Republic clinched their second victory following a 3-1 win (25-17, 25-19, 18-25, 29-27) against Mexico.
The final set of the match saw the Czech Republic leading 24-19 with five match points. However, Mexico demonstrated remarkable resilience by winning six consecutive points from a losing position, reversing the lead to 25-24, and earning a set point. Unfortunately, Mexico was unable to convert this advantage, allowing the Czech Republic to reclaim the lead and secure the set at 29-27, thus granting them their second victory.
Despite Mexico’s loss, the 17-year-old outside hitter Aime Topete put up an impressive performance as the match’s top scorer, contributing 21 points for the North American side.
In a post-match interview conducted by our journalist, Czech Republic’s Gabriela Orvošová attributed the team’s victory to their strong serving. Anticipating the remaining two matches, Orvošová expressed her hope for the team to continue serving well and to enhance their defense and blocking strategies in pursuit of further victories.
(Reported by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)