Xi’an, China — In a thrilling match on Saturday, China’s men’s volleyball team defeated the 14th-ranked Netherlands 3-1 to claim their second consecutive victory at the FIVB Men’s Nations League stop in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province.
The home team, currently ranked 20th in the world, showcased a strong performance after their commanding 3-0 win over Serbia on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Netherlands faced a quick turnaround, having battled to a tough 3-1 win over Türkiye the previous evening.
Netherlands coach Joel Banks acknowledged his team’s fatigue before the match. "We went back to the hotel late, and hopefully everyone could relax, but it was 1:30 a.m., we were still working with physio," he said.
The opening set saw both teams trading points, but unforced errors plagued the Dutch side, handing China nine free points. The hosts capitalized with strong serving, including four aces, and secured the set 25-19.
China maintained momentum in the second set, building a 17-12 lead and closing it out at 25-20. The Netherlands fought back in the third set, breaking away from an 8-8 tie with a decisive 10-2 run, and took the set 25-13.
In the fourth set, China’s Li Yongzhen became a defensive powerhouse, delivering four crucial blocks. His efforts helped the team seal the victory with a 25-17 finish. Li led China with 13 points in the match.
"In the first two sets, we did very good spiking and serving, really bad blocking and defense, but amazingly, we made no mistakes in serving and spiking," said China coach Vital Heynen. "The third set was just terrible. And it’s fantastic that we came back in the fourth set and played better in block and defense."
Li credited the team’s unity and tactical adjustments for their success. "I didn’t get many blocks at the start, but after the third set, the coach adjusted our tactics, which proved very effective," he said. "We fought for every point, whether we were leading or trailing. These two consecutive wins have greatly boosted our confidence."
With this victory, China rises to 18th in the world rankings. Looking ahead, China will face Türkiye on Sunday. The Netherlands are set to meet Japan, while Poland will take on Serbia.
