On the sixth matchday of the 2023 Women's World Volleyball League, the focus showdown begins. The Chinese women's volleyball team faced the Japanese women's volleyball team, which also won completely, and this matchup is undoubtedly a highly anticipated key battle in the entire event. The historical clash between the two sides should not be underestimated, and the Chinese women's volleyball team has the upper hand with 23 wins and 6 losses. However, the continuous updating of the Chinese squad and the strong ground technology of the Japanese team made this game full of unknowns and highlights.
At the beginning of the game, the Chinese women's volleyball team continued the starting lineup of the previous games, which also showed that head coach Cai Bin had found a stable lineup in his heart. Gong Xiangyu, whose state was affected by personal reasons in the last game, has not been changed because of this, and her expression on the field shows firmness and determination. At the beginning, the Japanese women's volleyball team seemed to be struggling, and a block from Yuan Xinyue gave the Chinese team an 8-4 lead. After the subsequent timeout, the Chinese women's volleyball team maintained a stable lead, winning the first set 25:18.
As the match progressed, the second inning began, and the two sides began to fight even more fiercely. Japan launched a strong counterattack, and China temporarily trailed in the score. Coach Cai Bin called the stoppage again, stressing the importance of reducing mistakes. However, due to the powerful serve launched by the Japanese team, the Chinese team was passive for a while, and the score gap widened further. Wang Yunbi made a mistake in the first pass link, which caused Coach Cai Bin to call a stop again, and he emphasized the key to the first pass link. With consecutive points after the timeout, the Chinese team gradually caught up, and Li Yingying's violent dunk added suspense to the game. With Wang Yuanyuan's attacking score, China chased the score to 18:21, while Japan had to request a timeout. Zhonghui, Du Qingqing and Xu Xiaoting also got the opportunity to play.
With the help of Wang Yuanyuan's serve, China chased the score to 20:22, and then Zhonghui's blocking score equalized the score at 21:22. In the tense atmosphere, the opponent made another mistake and the score was drawn again. In the end, Yuan Xinyue's serve scored directly to win the second set with difficulty at 27:25, extending the score to 2:0. Entering the third inning, Wang Yuanyuan continued to play well, her strong attack making it impossible for her opponent to cope. The Japanese team put on a brilliant defensive performance, with the libero running wild and completing an amazing one-handed save, which became a sight to behold. Yuan Xinyue's serve scored again and China led 9-6. With the cooperation of the double blocker, the Chinese team successfully blocked the attack of the Japanese team.
However, the Japanese team did not give up easily, and the score quickly chased to 16:17. In the face of the opponent's stubborn counterattack, Cai Bin called a halt again, and he reminded the players not to pursue speed too much, and at the same time pay attention to the height of the attack. After the timeout, the Chinese team chased two consecutive points and finally won the third game 27:25, winning the entire game with an aggregate score of 3:0. In this match, Gong Xiangyu's return to form made the Chinese team's performance easier. Li Yingying is still the offensive pillar of the team, and Wang Yuanyuan's stunning performance also added color to the game. However, Zhonghui, who came off the bench, was more nervous on the serve, which is where she needs to continue to exercise. It is worth mentioning that the Chinese team's defense has indeed improved significantly, forming an effective containment of the Japanese team's attack.
In the end, the Chinese women's volleyball team defeated the Japanese women's volleyball team 3-0 in this fierce matchup, winning four consecutive matches in the first match. This victory not only boosted the morale of the team, but also may also bring a certain boost in the world rankings. The strength of the two teams is close, and the stable play and tenacious will shown by the Chinese women's volleyball team in this game laid a solid foundation for victory. This victory is also an affirmation of the defensive ability of the Chinese women's volleyball team, and the opponent is helpless in the face of the Chinese team's tight pressure. Let us look forward to the Chinese women's volleyball team continuing to show outstanding performances in the next matches and provide more wonderful matches for the fans.