China defeated the United States in a thrilling five-set match. The match, showcasing a rematch between the last two Olympic champions, saw China emerge victorious with a 3-2 win (25-20, 25-19, 17-25, 20-25, 15-13).
China’s victory was driven by strong performances from their outside hitters, with Li Yingying notching 26 points and Zhu Ting contributing 17, including the decisive game-winner. Gong Xiangyu also added 13 points. The result places China second in Pool A, behind Serbia, who secured the top spot after defeating France 3-0 (25-17, 25-17, 25-22) later in the day. The U.S. earned one point and stands third in the pool, ahead of the host nation, France.
Serbia’s win over France marked the French team’s debut at the Olympic Games, with Tijana Bošković leading Serbia’s offense with 14 points. Aleksandra Uzelac and Bianka Buša added 13 and 11 points, respectively. For France, Amélie Rotar and Halimatou Bah led their team with 12 and 10 points.
