In Jiangmen, south China's Guangdong Province, China’s Under-20 Women's Volleyball team clinched their 13th Asian championship title after an electrifying 3-2 victory over Japan on Tuesday night. 🏐🇨🇳🎉
In a nail-biting finale that had fans on the edge of their seats, the Chinese team showed resilience and unity to overcome their rivals. The match scores were 23-25, 25-21, 25-17, 14-25, and 15-10.
China stormed into the final with five straight wins, losing only one set along the way. Facing Japan for the 13th time in the tournament's history, they were eager to avenge their losses in the previous two finals in 2022 and 2018.
Japan took the first set 25-23 and were leading 17-15 in the second. It seemed like history might repeat itself, but China flipped the script with a 10-4 run to claim the second set. They carried that momentum into the third set, winning it 25-17. But Japan wasn't ready to back down, scoring an incredible 11 consecutive points to dominate the fourth set 25-14, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set.
In the final showdown, China burst ahead to a 13-5 lead. Japan fought back fiercely, narrowing the gap to 10-13. The tension was palpable, but China held their nerve, sealing the victory with an ace and ending their eight-year title drought. 🏆🔥
\"Our start was pretty shaky, but once we adjusted our mentality, we began to enjoy the match,\" said Wang Yidi, the team captain. \"It wasn't easy, but we did it!\"
Coach Kuang Qi added, \"We fought as one tonight. Despite the ups and downs, we emerged victorious, and this experience will boost our confidence. I see so much potential in these girls—they are the future.\"
With this triumphant win, China's young volleyball stars have not only reclaimed the championship but also inspired fans across Asia and beyond. 🌟
Reference(s):
China beat Japan to win Asian Women's U20 Volleyball Championship
cgtn.com
