The Chinese women's volleyball team defeated Japan to reclaim the title of Asia's top team, with Wu Mengjie’s injury casting a shadow over the upcoming match against Italy.

On the evening of June 21, the Chinese women's volleyball team faced Japan in the third round of the 2025 World Volleyball League in Hong Kong. This match was crucial for the title of "Asia's top team." If China won, they would definitely surpass Japan in the world rankings, moving up to fifth place. The average age of the Chinese team is under 22, and they have only recorded one win and four losses against Japan in their last five encounters. However, Japan had just fought a five-set battle against Italy, while the Chinese team had a bye to rest and prepare.

In the first set, the Chinese team scored six points through blocks, as shown by number 1 Wu Mengjie teaming up with a teammate for a double block.

The Kai Tak Sports and Arts Center was packed tonight, with nearly 9,000 seats filled. Although both teams had their supporters, the Chinese team, benefiting from home advantage, had a noticeably larger crowd, and chants of "Go, China!" resounded throughout the arena.

In the early part of the first set, China relied on 19-year-old middle blocker Chen Houyu, who stands at 1.97 meters, to score multiple quick attacks. Faced with the height advantage of the Chinese "Great Wall," Japan initially attempted to respond with feigned attacks and back-row hits, but key scorers like Yuki Ando and captain Mayu Ishikawa were consistently blocked by the Chinese team. In the first set, China successfully executed six blocks, and with Wu Mengjie’s late surge, they won the set 25:15.

The cheers for the Chinese team echoed throughout the arena.

The 16-year-old starting setter Zhang Zixuan and her teammates showed increasing synergy, while Japan's offense struggled to find its rhythm, often hitting out of bounds to avoid the Chinese blocks. By the middle of the set, China had pulled ahead to 14:7, culminating in a scene where middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan scored off a set from setter Zhuang Yushan. The second set saw an even wider margin, with China winning 25:12.

The Chinese team served steadily throughout the match, and there were no reception errors in the first two sets. Head coach Zhao Yong didn’t make any substitutions, but errors began to creep in during the third set. Additionally, Japan made adjustments, regaining their form and taking an early lead of 8:3, forcing the Chinese team to call a timeout. Japan's setter Nakagawa Tsukasa employed various tactical plays to score at different points, with Satou Yoshino scoring eight points in that set, leading to a 25:18 victory for Japan.

The Chinese women's volleyball team swept Japan in the first two sets.

However, Nakagawa Tsukasa, who stands only 1.59 meters tall, was ineffective at the net, allowing the Chinese team to regain dominance in the fourth set, opening up a lead of 11:6. Nevertheless, Japan's newcomer Kitamatsu Ayane emerged as a surprise asset, scoring points with powerful attacks, tying the game at 15:15. The two teams remained neck and neck until 21:21, when Wu Mengjie scored three crucial points, sealing the set at 25:22 and the match at 3:1, with the total block scores being 14 for China and 3 for Japan.

Japanese media reported that the Japanese women's volleyball team could not break through the high wall posed by their Asian rivals, the Chinese team.

Due to the fact that the world ranking points between the two teams were only 8.03 points apart before the match, China's victory by 3:1 earned them 7.96 points, while Japan lost the same amount, ensuring that China would surpass Japan in points and reclaim the title of "Asia's top team." Unfortunately, China's top scorer Wu Mengjie (who scored 24 points in this match) appeared to twist her ankle when she landed after scoring the final point of the match, stepping on a teammate's foot. She was then carried to the sidelines by her teammates. On June 22 at 8:00 PM, the Chinese women's volleyball team will play against Italy in the final match of the Hong Kong leg, and it remains uncertain whether Wu Mengjie will be able to participate.