The Asian team finish Preliminary Phase on 8-4, hold the Americans in second place on 10-2
China and United States finished their Volleyball Nations League 2023 Preliminary Phase campaigns with a five-set battle against each other. With both teams sure of their berths at the Finals in Arlington from July 12 through 16, the Asian team came back from a set down twice before emerging with a 3-2 (18-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-20, 15-8) victory in the last Pool 5 match in Suwon on Sunday. China improved to an 8-4 win-loss record and 24 points, placing fourth in the current standings, ahead of Japan and Brazil, who are each on 7-4, 21 points and a game at hand. Finals hosts USA failed to regain the first place in the table and finished runners-up on 10-2 and 18 points, a point short of Preliminary Phase winners Poland.
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Outside hitter Li Yingying led China to success with a match-high 28 points, including two aces. The Asians outblocked their opponents by nine stuffs to three, with middle blockers Yuan Xinyue and Gao Yi leading the way with three each. Outside Kathryn Plummer was USA’s most prolific player with 22 points.
United States were well in control throughout the first set. Outspiking the opponents, the Americans opened up a wide gap, but in the end, it was two kill blocks, by opposite Andrea Drews and middle blocker Dana Rettke, with an overpass kill by Kathryn Plummer sandwiched in between, that brought three points in a row for 25-18. The second set went the opposite way, with outside Li Yinying leading China with six kills in attack and two aces in dominating throughout the set and winning it by 25-19.
China’s players celebrate
In set three, the Americans took their turn in dominating on the court. A solid Plummer helped her team cruise to a 25-19 close, herself scoring six points, including the set winner. China rushed into the fourth set on a 6-0 lead to prompt yet another one-sided affair. To keep the symmetry, now Li Yingying scored six points, including the 25-20 set winner with a back-row kill. USA started better in the tie-breaker to take a 5-3 lead. At that moment, however, two back-to-back points by Yuan Xinyue set off an amazing 11-point series for China, with outside Wang Yunlu behind the serving line and Li Yingying on fire in attack, which gave them a 12-5 lead and practically decided the match. Moments later, Gao Yi’s kill through the middle finished the game at 15-8.
“I feel…
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