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Lausanne, Switzerland, May 5, 2019 - China's 19-year-old sensation Li Yingying took Asia by storm Sunday evening as she led Bohai Bank of Tianjin to the title of the 2019 Asian Women's Club Championship with a 3-1 (25-18, 35-33, 16-25, 25-19) win in the final over defending champions Supreme Chonburi of Thailand.

Playing before a home crowd in Tianjin, Li was named both tournament MVP and best outside hitter after scoring an amazing 40 points in the final, as setter Yao Di, also named on the tournament Dream Team, set the pace for the hosts. Pleumjit Thinkaow was Supreme's best scorer with 23 points.



It was the first continental title for a Chinese club since 2013, when legendary coach Lang Ping led Guangdong Evergrande to gold. For Bohai Bank Tianjin it was their fifth Asian Club Championship title after successes in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2012.

"I am glad that we could keep the trophy in Tianjin, and what makes me feel happier is our young players learned both lessons and experience from this tournament," said Tianjin head coach Chen Youquan. "That is valuable for us when we play the domestic league and international competitions in the future."

Earlier on the closing day in Tianjin, Japan's Hisamitsu Springs of Kobe beat Kazakhstan's Altay VC 3-1 (28-30, 25-21, 25-19, 25-13) for the bronze medal.

Dream Team:
• Best Setter: Yao Di (Bohai Bank Tianjin, China)
• Best Outside Hitters: Li Yingying (Bohai Bank Tianjin, China) & Hikari Kato (Hisamitsu Springs Kobe, Japan)
• Best Middle Blockers: Wang Yuanyuan (Bohai Bank Tianjin, China) & Li Yanan (Bohai Bank Tianjin, China)
• Best Opposite: Ajcharaporn Kongyot (Supreme Chonburi, Thailand)
• Best Libero: Sayaka Tsutsui (Hisamitsu Springs Kobe, Japan)
• MVP: Li Yingying (Bohai Bank Tianjin, China)

Final Ranking:
1. Bohai Bank Tianjin, China
2. Supreme Chonburi, Thailand
3. Hisamitsu Springs Kobe, Japan
4. Altay VC, Kazakhstan
5. 4.25 Sport Club, North Korea
6. TPE, Chinese Taipei
7. VTV Binh Dien Long An, Vietnam