China's Women's Volleyball Team Faces Tough US Challenge in VNL Quarter-Finals

China’s women take on their American counterparts in the quarter-finals of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals in Macau on Thursday, with head coach Zhao Yong acknowledging that his young side faced a tough test against the top seeds.

Despite being tournament favourites, the US have struggled against their mainland opponents in the past, losing their previous four encounters, three of which went to five sets.

But Zhao’s side, which is a blend of youth and experience, go into the clash on the back of a mixed performance during the final leg of the regular season in Hong Kong, when they lost three of their four matches, beating only Ukraine at Kai Tak Arena.

“The team went through some ups and downs during the Hong Kong, China leg, which I believe is a necessary process for young players to grow,” Zhao said.

“After the first three legs of competition, the team is well prepared. We will give our all against the US. We have many young players, so our performance on court can fluctuate. We hope to fully display our existing technical and tactical abilities during the match.”

The eight-team tournament starts on Wednesday at the Macau East Asian Games Dome, with Italy, the defending champions, taking on the Netherlands and Brazil facing Japan.