TEHRAN – Iran were defeated against Japan 3-1 win (25-23, 25-21, 26-28, 25-16) in quarterfinals of the 2022 AVC Cup for Women on Saturday.

Yuki Nishikawa and Miyuki Tanaka powered the team with double-digit scores (18 points and 13 points respectively) during the quarterfinals encounter on Saturday evening at the PhilSports Arena to mark Japan’s fourth consecutive win in the competition.

“Iran played well in offense today and we needed to adjust our defense system to play against them,” said Japan head coach Akira Koshiya.

Japan relied on Nishikawa and Tanaka from the wings. They ran their offense cohesively, effectively utilizing their passing unit. With the taller lineup in front of them, Japan also needed to find solutions against the opponents’ block.

The Japanese side stuck to their system, playing strategically from the service line while covering the backcourt well, to solidify their stake to victory in four sets.

Japan will face Vietnam in the semifinals, set as the main event on Sunday. Iran will face Chinese Taipei in an earlier match at 10:00 local time for the 5th-8th semifinals bracket.