China, which had not lost throughout the tournament, defeated Vietnam in the quarter-finals of the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship in Tianjin on Friday. The hosts won with a score of 25-15, 25-22, 25-13, increasing their tournament record to four wins in four matches without losing a single set.
The leaders of the Chinese team were Wu Mengze and Zhuang Yushan, each scoring 18 points. In the second set, China faced its greatest difficulties when Vietnam managed to narrow the gap to 21-21. However, the home side won four of the next five points, after which they dominated the third set to conclude the match.
On Saturday, the Chinese team will face Iran in the semi-finals. Iran advanced to the final after defeating Indonesia 3-1. The Iranians lost the first set but then won with a score of 19-25, 25-16, 25-12, 25-17, reaching the top four of the continental competition for the first time in history.
Elahieh Pour Saleh led the winning team, scoring 29 points. The match between China and Iran on Saturday will be the second confrontation between these two teams in the current tournament. Previously, China won the group stage against Iran 3-0, although Iran managed to push the hosts to 25-23 in the second set.
In the other semi-final on Saturday, Japan will meet defending champion Thailand. Japan confidently passed Taiwan (Chinese Taipei) with a score of 25-14, 25-21, 25-13 in the quarter-finals, while Thailand beat the Republic of Korea 25-20, 25-18, 25-21.
The winner of the Asian Championship will receive a direct qualification spot for the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028, and the top three teams will secure places in the 2027 FIVB Women's World Volleyball Championship.
