China concluded the group stage of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship with a perfect winning record, securing a confident 3-0 victory over Taipei in Tianjin on Wednesday. The team advanced to the quarter-finals without dropping a single set.
The tournament hosts, aiming to win the title for the first time since 2015, won with scores of 25-17, 25-16, and 25-7, taking first place in Group A after three consecutive victories. Furthermore, China defeated tournament newcomers Iraq and Iran in two straight sets. This performance secured China the top seed in the playoffs, where they will face Vietnam in the eighth match on Friday.
Wu Mengze returned to the starting lineup after recovering from injury, joining Zhuang Yushan as an outside hitter. China started the match slowly and trailed 4-1 in the first set, but quickly turned the tide with a five-point run, subsequently winning the set comfortably with a score of 25-17.
Taipei managed to close the gap early in the second set, but the host team took control closer to the end, winning the set 25-16. China then gained an 8-1 lead in the third set and used several substitutions to close out the match 25-7.
Wu Meng and Zhuang led the team, each scoring 13 points, while captain Gun Xianyu contributed 10 points. The team held an attack advantage of 40-25 and dominated at the net, achieving a block advantage of 11-1.
China's three consecutive three-set victories allowed them to secure the best overall position after the group stage. Japan also won all three of its matches without losing a set, but lost to China on point ratio.
The quarter-finals will feature China, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Taipei, and Vietnam. The Asian champion guarantees itself direct participation in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, and the top three teams will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Women's World Championship in the USA and Canada.