Australia beat Mongolia, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18 on opening day of the Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship to kick off their campaign off the right foot joining other Day 1 winners China, South Korea and Japan among others in the tournament held in akhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

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Australia and Mongolia belong to Pool A with host Thailand and Kazakhstan. The Kazakhs surprised the hosts as they pulled off the upset victory in four sets 26-24, 26-24, 17-25, 25-20. Kazakhstan is ranked 28th in the world and 9th in Asia while Thailand is ranked 16th and 4th in Asia in the most recent FIVB rankings.

The hosts will try to bounce back on Saturday when they face the Australians, while the Mongolians battle for virtual survival when they take on the Kazakhs.

Day 1 Results
Australia def. Mongolia, 25-20, 25-23, 25-18
India def. Philippines, 25-22, 26-24, 25-12
South Korea def. Myanmar, 25-7, 25-11, 25-12
Kazakhstan def. Thailand, 26-24, 26-24, 17-25, 25-20
Chinese-Taipei def. Sri Lanka, 25-6, 25-6, 25-13
Japan def. Vietnam, 25-6, 25-13, 25-16
China def. Iran, 25-11, 25-16, 25-1

Sixteen teams are divided into four pools (A, B, C and D) and each team is scheduled to battle rival teams from their respective groups in a single-round robin affair. At the end of the three-game preliminaries, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the next round

Pool B consists of defending champion China, Iran, India and the Philippines; Pool C with Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Hong Kong; and Pool D with South Korea, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei and Myanmar.

The teams are vying for berths in three major events in 2013 and 2014, including one slot in the 2013 FIVB World Grand Champions Cup set November 12 to 17.

Asian Women’s Volleyball Championship Live Streaming | LINK (Selected games)

Day 2 (September 14, 2013) Schedule
 Australia vs. Thailand
Iran vs. Philippines
Kazakhstan vs. Mongolia
South Korea vs. Sri Lanka
Chinese-Taipei vs. Myanmar
Indonesia vs. Japan
Hong Kong vs. Vietnam
China vs. India