China beats Japan to lift 10th Asian Games women's volleyball crown

Players of China celebrate victory after the final match of Women's Volleyball between China and Japan at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Komaki, Japan, Sept. 22, 2026. (Xinhua/Jia Haocheng)

NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Defending champion China claimed its 10th Asian Games women's volleyball gold medal with a 3-0 victory over Japan in the final here Tuesday.

The teams traded points early in the first set. Midway through the set, China gradually pulled ahead and sealed a 25-19 win.

China maintained a narrow lead throughout the second set. Both sides ramped up their intensity, staging several long rallies before China closed out the set 25-20.

Japan cranked up its attack at the start of the third set, jumping out to a 7-1 lead, forcing China to call a timeout. China then reset its rhythm and leveraged its serving and blocking strengths to tie the score at 19-19. After four deuces, China sealed the set 25-23 to claim the match.

China edged Thailand 3-2 in Monday's semifinal, avenging their loss in last month's Asian Women's Volleyball Championship final and advancing to the gold-medal match against Japan. In the day's other semifinal, Japan beat South Korea 3-0.

China beat Japan in straight sets at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.