Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- 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.
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. In the day's other semifinal, Japan beat South Korea 3-0.
China beat Japan in straight sets at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. ■
Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
Players of China celebrate during the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Wang Lili)
