Japan Beats China to Reach VNL Semifinals for Third Time

Japan's men's national volleyball team defeated host nation China 3-1 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals on Wednesday, July 29, securing a spot in the semifinals for the third time.

Japan, aiming for its first VNL medal in two editions, entered the Finals round after an unbeaten Preliminary Round. Facing host China away from home, Japan dropped the first set after falling behind early, but stormed back to win the next three sets in a row. Outside hitter Ran Takahashi led all scorers with 21 points, while middle blocker Evandro Danilalari matched opposite Yuji Nishida with 13 points each. Substitutes Shoma Tomita and Keigo Nishimoto also made strong contributions.

Speaking to Volleyball World after the match, Takahashi said: "We had to win, and that was the most important thing. But there were also a lot of mistakes and issues. We need to fix those ahead of the next match. I don't know which team we'll face, but we simply have to beat our opponent. We need to focus on that one match, get our mentality right, and sharpen our communication."

Japan will face the United States in the semifinal on Saturday, August 1, at 20:30. The Americans reached the semifinals after defeating Italy in straight sets on Thursday, dominating with 14 service aces, led by opposite Jake Hanes, who scored 21 points including 6 aces. Japan defeated the U.S. in a five-set thriller during the Preliminary Round.