China advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 Women’s Volleyball Nations League after defeating the United States in a dramatic five-set quarterfinal.
Backed by home supporters, China recovered from a one-sided opening set and held nerve in the deciding tie-break to reach the last four for the first time since 2023. Yushan Zhuang led China with 17 points, while captain Gong Xiangyu added 15. Tang Xin scored 13 and Wang Yuanyuan contributed 12, including three blocks.
Jordan Thompson finished as the match’s top scorer with 24 points. Dana Rettke added 18 points and a match-high four blocks, while Logan Eggleston, Avery Skinner and Asjia O’Neal also reached double figures.
The United States led 74-58 in attacking kills and 5-4 in aces, but China held a 9-7 advantage in blocks and committed six fewer errors.
China will face Türkiye on Saturday for a place in Sunday’s gold medal match. The United States, meanwhile, will miss the VNL semifinals for a third consecutive edition.
Result: China 3-2 United States — 15-25, 25-23, 25-20, 17-25, 15-13.
