Thailand Ladies V-ball Team meets Dominican Hurricane

[Frank James]

The Thailand Ladies National Volleyball squad got mugged in Tokyo this morning, by a determined and hungry group of ladies from the Dominican Republic. It was a brutal taste of what it's going to take for our team to have any impact whatsoever on this, the World Stage. Where are the high flying slammers who thrilled us with their slashing, well coordinated, aggressive play, just a few weeks ago in Korat? It isn't as if they've had a long layoff, and are out of shape. Pleumjit, Onuma, and Wilavan have been playing the pro circuit in Kazakhstan, and should all be in fighting shape.

The Dominican ladies showed a lot of heart, style, and skill in their total domination of our team, in every aspect of the game, winning three straight, turn out the lights. They seem to have an un-erring feel for where the back line is, always hitting just inside, and they also found a lot of weak or empty spots to exploit. They looked like our team of six weeks ago, while our side looked like a hastily assembled, un-coached pickup bunch from some community college. Especially painful to watch was the rocket fired out of the Dominican center court that slammed into Piyanut's face, and sent her crashing to the floor, in the first set.

It doesn't get any easier from here. Tomorrow our Asian champs have to go toe to toe with Brazil, the perennial World Number One team. They are severe underdogs in this matchup, but,,,ANY team can be beaten, and our ladies can beat the Brazilians, if they play with the heart and aggression they brought to every match on home court. Pleumjit and Wilavan have to put the team on their shoulders and just go for it, full tilt, all out.

Win or lose, I'll be glued to the tube every time our ladies take the field. They are the pride of Thailand.

[chuckd]

Well said. The ladies are the best ambassadors this nation could possibly have.

Win or lose, they do both with grace and skill.

[Jackson86]

I support Thailand ! My favorite Nootsara Tomkom ! But quite shocked on the 0-3 defeat.

[Frank James]

Every team, even the best of the best, needs an occasional wake up call. There are 20 teams in Tokyo, all thinking they are at least potentially the best. If you walked into a practice of the USA team, and told them they should be very worried about Thailand, you would get laughed out of the room. Good. that means we've got them where we want them. Underestimating...

An early smackdown from a team you thought you would roll over, is a great wake up. The Big Guy, Coach K, is going to be burning their butts all day, saying WHY was the middle un-covered, WHY were you running around like you don't know your spots, you're BETTER than that, wake up!

It wasn't a horrible defeat, losing to the Dominicans, but it showed a lot of weakness, and now you know what you need to do.

Odds of the Thai ladies beating Brazil are stratospheric, but dammit, when the match is finished, if you play Thailand style ball, they'll know they were in a dogfight!

Can't wait.

[Frank James]

PS: Correction. The Big Three from the Thai Ladies national team play pro ball in Azerbajian, not Kazakhstan. I must have been channeling ace correspondent Borat!

[seajae]

Actually there is an aussie womens team coming to Thailand soon to play them as well but again it is not a national side so they will probably not take too many points from the thai team.