China Upsets United States to Return to VNL Semifinals
China thrilled the home crowd in Macao by defeating the United States in five sets to secure its first Women’s VNL semifinal appearance since 2023.
China booked its place in the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League semifinals after defeating the United States in a thrilling five-set quarterfinal in front of 4,400 fans in Macao. The hosts recovered from two deficits to earn a 3-2 victory (15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13) and reach the last four for the first time since 2023.
The United States dominated the opening set, but China answered by taking the next two before the Americans forced a deciding fifth. In the tie-break, the home side twice erased a three-point deficit and completed the comeback when 18-year-old Wang Aoqian scored the winning point through the middle.
Zhuang Yushan paced China with 17 points, while captain Gong Xiangyu added 15. Tang Xin finished with 13 points and Wang Yuanyuan contributed 12 as China recorded nine blocks and committed just 20 unforced errors, compared to 26 by the United States.
“I am so happy we advanced to the semifinals! We didn’t do well enough in previous five-set matches, so this match today is a boost to our confidence,” Zhuang said after the victory.
Jordan Thompson led all scorers with 24 points for the United States, while Dana Rettke added 18. Reflecting on the defeat, Thompson admitted: “I think we were not at our best today and that’s a bummer. In moments like this, you need to show up, but I don’t think we executed to the best of our abilities.” She also praised the hosts, adding, “I think China played an amazing game. They are obviously incredibly talented and a very strong team.”
China will face Türkiye in Saturday’s semifinal.
