Japan erased a six-point deficit in the fifth set for a 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 15-13) come-from-behind victory over resilient Thailand in the women's Olympic final volleyball qualifying on Wednesday.
In a thriller that lasted almost three hours, Japan was down 12-6 in the tiebreaker but roared back to take all but one of the next 10 points, the game's top scorer Saori Sakoda pouncing on match point to send Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium into delirium.
Japan caught a few breaks down the stretch as Thailand was penalized with two red cards that completely turned the tide in favor of the home team.