Kobe, Japan, May 13, 2017 - The seventh place match at the FIVB Volleyball Women's Club World Championship will be an all-Japanese affair. Tournament hosts Hisamitsu Springs Kobe will meet compatriots from NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki as each of them will try to score their first win in their last game of the competition.
On Saturday, Club World Championship rookies NEC Red Rockets finally managed to win their first ever set in the competition, but eventually lost to Russia’s Dinamo Moscow by 1-3 (15-25, 25-22, 15-25, 18-25) in the classification 5-8 semifinal.
Hisamitsu Springs suffered a 0-3 (20-25, 21-25, 21-25) loss to Brazil’s Osasco Voleibol Clube in the other classification 5-8 semifinal and also had to settle for a shot at the seventh place on the last competition day on Sunday.
With NEC Red Rockets making their Club World Championship debut at the ongoing 2017 edition, this will be the first clash between these two Japanese sides at this level. They met in the final playoff in Japan’s national league in March and NEC Red Rockets managed to take two 3-2 victories over Hisamitsu Springs to win the title.
NEC Red Rockets Kawasaki (JPN)
- NEC Red Rockets have played a total of four Club World Championship matches, but have yet to achieve their first victory. With the 0-4 win-loss record in the making, they managed to win only one set.
- NEC Red Rockets’ Kaname Yamaguchi is on top of the current Best Setters individual ranking of the tournament with a set average of 9.31 running sets.
Hisamitsu Springs Kobe (JPN)
- This is the fourth consecutive Club World Championship participation for Hisamitsu Springs. The Japanese club is hosting the competition for the first time.
- Hisamitsu Springs have played continuously at the Club World Championships since 2014. In their first three participations, they finished fifth in 2014 and 2015, and sixth in 2016. Their 2017 finish will be worse than any of the previous three.
- Hisamitsu Springs have played a total of 13 matches at the Club World Championships and have a 2-11 win-loss record.
- Hisamitsu Springs’ Ayano Nakaoji comes second only to NEC Red Rockets’ Kaname Yamaguchi in the Best Setters individual ranking of the tournament.