Kaohsiung Taipower made quick work of Hip Hing for a strong start to the 2025 AVC Women's Champions League.
Kaohsiung Taipower wasted no time making a statement in the 2025 AVC Women’s Club Volleyball Championship, dismantling Hong Kong’s Hip Hing in a clinical 25-10, 25-16, 25-14 sweep, Sunday morning at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The nine-time Top Volleyball League champions from Taiwan showcased their experience and firepower, overwhelming the reigning Hong Kong Women’s Volleyball League titleholders to seize the early solo lead in Pool B with a 1-0 record.
Peng Yu-Rou spearheaded the attack with 16 points built on 15 kills, while Tsai Yu-Chun backed her up with 11 markers, including eight spikes.
Hsu Wan-Yun chipped in seven points, team captain Huang Ching Hsuan tallied six, and middle blockers Hu Xiao-Pei and Pao Yin-Chi contributed five apiece in the well-balanced offensive performance.
“It’s important for me as a volleyball player to gain this kind of experience. It also [matters] that our team gets to experience participating in a tournament like this,” said starting setter Hung Chia-Yao, who also tallied two points and 10 excellent digs.
Taipower took full control in the third set, racing to a commanding 14-6 lead. A flurry of attacks—a crosscourt kill by Hsu, a quick set to Lin, another Hsu bomb, and a rapid middle hit from Hu—extended their cushion to 21-10.
An off-speed hit from Hsu and back-to-back down-the-line daggers from Peng put the exclamation point on Taipower’s impressive debut in the eight-day event supported by Mikasa, Mizuno, and Grand Sport as AVC partners.
Despite dominating the first set, Taipower refused to let up. They turned a slim 9-6 edge in the second frame into a 19-10 rout, suffocating any chance of a Hip Hing comeback.
“It is a new experience in our life and we can [have] many learnings in other countries like how they play volleyball and for our communication also,” Hu added.
Taipower returns to action tomorrow, Monday at 4 p.m., against the 2024-25 PVL All-Filipino Conference champions Petro Gazz.
No player from the Hong Kong-based side breached double digits, with outside hitter Pang Wing Lam pacing the team with seven points, and setter Fung Tsz Yan adding four in the losing effort.
Still searching for their first win, Hip Hing will try to bounce back against Petro Gazz on Tuesday at 7 p.m.