TIANJIN, Aug. 24 (Xinhua) -- China overcame some resistance from Iran to claim a 3-0 victory at the 2026 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship on Monday, securing its second straight win and a place in the quarterfinals.
China head coach Zhao Yong fielded the same starting lineup that had beaten Iraq in the opener, and the hosts took control of the first set with a 5-0 run before cruising to a 25-14 win.
Iran improved in both attack and defense in the second set and prevented China from pulling away. China reached set point at 24-19, but Iran responded with four straight points, forcing Zhao to call a timeout before the hosts closed out the set 25-23.
Iran continued to pressure China in the third set, scoring three consecutive points to take an 8-7 lead. China called another timeout and regained control after setter Diao Linyu came off the bench, gradually pulling away to take the set 25-14 and seal the victory.
"Iran fought very hard on defense and handled some difficult balls very well, which affected our composure at times," China captain Gong Xiangyu said. "We still have one group match to play, so we need to prepare carefully. Every point is important because it could affect who we face in the knockout stage."
China middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan said the tougher contest provided useful experience ahead of the knockout stage and would help the team find its rhythm.
"We rarely face the three opponents in our group, and playing them really tests our ability to adapt during matches, which is an area we still need to improve at this stage," Wang said.
China will face Chinese Taipei in its final group match.
Elsewhere Monday, Thailand swept Indonesia 3-0, while Vietnam beat Hong Kong, China by the same score. Enditem
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