Asian Games | China beats South Korea to reach men's volleyball quarterfinals

China outlasted South Korea 3-2 on Tuesday to finish top of the men's volleyball preliminary Group D with an unbeaten 3-0 record and secure a quarterfinal berth at the 2026 Asian Games.

China made a shaky start to the opening set, trailing by as many as five points before fighting back to level the score and earn a set point. However, unforced errors at crucial moments allowed South Korea to take the set 27-25.

The second set remained closely contested before China took consecutive points late on to win 25-23.

China's starting outside hitter Zhang Jingyin was forced off with an injury during the third set but later returned. His return helped lift China to the 25-21 win.

South Korea stepped up its attack in the fourth set and won 25-22 to force a tiebreaker, but China prevailed 15-12 in the deciding set to seal the match.

"We need to promptly review the issues exposed in the matches, make timely adjustments and go all out to prepare for our next fixture," China captain Yu Yuantai said.

The quarterfinals will be held on Thursday.