China beats Japan to lift 10th Asian Games women's volleyball crown

NAGOYA, Japan -- Defending champion China claimed its 10th Asian Games women's volleyball gold medal with a 3-0 victory over Japan in the final here Tuesday.

The teams traded points early in the first set. Midway through the set, China gradually pulled ahead and sealed a 25-19 win.

China maintained a narrow lead throughout the second set. Both sides ramped up their intensity, staging several long rallies before China closed out the set 25-20.

Japan cranked up its attack at the start of the third set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead, forcing China to call a timeout. China then reset its rhythm and leveraged its serving and blocking strengths to tie the score at 19-19. After four deuces, China sealed the set 25-23 to claim the match.

"We had actually prepared for difficulties and anticipated that such a situation might arise. So when we encountered these issues, we stayed calm and kept a clear head," said China's outside hitter Wu Mengjie.

Wu led all scorers with 26 points and helped China steady itself at key moments late in the match.

"While it might look like I performed well in attack, that was only possible because my teammates provided the necessary support, with solid passing and setting. That allowed me to attack effectively," Wu added.

China also beat Japan in the final of the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

"This title will give the whole team a great boost in confidence," China coach Zhao Yong said. "The players performed very well under pressure, and I think this experience will give them greater confidence and lay a good foundation for their development in the next stage."

Japan did not field its strongest lineup at the tournament, with several key players who regularly compete in overseas leagues, including outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa, left off the roster.

"This tournament was a good challenge for us because we changed our roster and brought some new members into the team. We tried some new things and changed some players' positions. It worked well," said Japan coach Ferhat Akbas.

China edged Thailand 3-2 in Monday's semifinal, avenging their loss in last month's Asian Women's Volleyball Championship final and advancing to the gold-medal match against Japan.