PLEUMJIT Thinkaow kept Supreme Chonburi E-Tech unbeaten in five matches as they turned back Mylene Paat and Nakhon Ratchasima, 19-25, 29-27, 25-14, 25-23, in the Volleyball Thailand League on Wednesday.
Thinkaow, a 10-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, remained dominant at the age of 38, leading her team to its fifth straight win that tightened its hold of the solo league lead at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok.
Sutadta Chuewulim and Kannika Thipachot, who served as imports in the Premier Volleyball League in the previous years, were also instrumental in turning back the valiant effort of Nakhon Ratchasima, led by Thai national player Karina Krause.
Still unbeaten
Nakhon Ratchasima pushed its unbeaten foe to the limit with Krause and Patcharaporn Sittisad cutting a 21-24 deficit to just one.
However, Chuewulim nailed the match-clinching attack that ended Nakhon Ratchasima's two-game winning streak.
Paat and Co. slid to 2-3 [win-loss] in sixth place behind joint fourth placers Proflex RSU VC and Khon Kaen Star VC, both with 2-2 cards.
Nakhon Ratchasima tries to regain its winning ways against seventh placer Kasetsart VC (1-3) on Sunday.
Thipachot unloaded 24 points, firing 22 kills and a pair of aces for Supreme Chonburi. Chuewulim scored 16, while Thinkaow scattered 11 attacks, three blocks and an ace to finish with 15 markers.
Supreme Chonburi held Paat to just 10 markers, half of her 20-point average in the past four games.
The lefty Filipina spiker only drilled 10 of her 38 spike attempts. Sittisad led the charge for Nakhon Ratchasima with 20 points. Krause had 12 markers off nine attacks and three blocks, while Chitaporn Kamlangmak also scored 10.
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