SCANDICCI, Italy, March 19 (Xinhua) -- League leaders Conegliano defeated second-ranked Scandicci 3-1 on Sunday night in the 23rd game of this season's Serie A1, Italy's top women's volleyball league.

Scandicci's Chinese outside hitter Zhu Ting and setter Yao Di both played as starters. Zhu scored a team-high 15 points but was unable to prevent the 25-19, 25-17, 20-25, 25-20 loss.

"Zhu Ting and Yao Di are high-level athletes and their addition to this team is a qualitative improvement," said Massimo Barbolini, Scandicci's head coach, adding that he believed they would be able to take the team to another level.

Yao, who joined the team in January, told Xinhua that she had been looking forward to this match since coming to Italy, and that the level of Serie A was high on both the offensive and defensive sides, so she needed to further improve her speed.

Discussing the team's recent schedule, Yao said that with Scandicci playing in two competitions - the UEFA Cup and Serie A - she hoped to seize the opportunity to play every game, bond better with her teammates and achieve good results.

Zhu, who recovered from a serious wrist injury and joined the team last October, told Xinhua that there was still potential to improve her performance and that the continuous battle and physical discomfort had made the match "a bit heavy".

Zhu added that her understanding and communication with her teammates has improved significantly lately. Discussing her future plans, she underlined the importance of keeping fit and healthy, adding that she hopes to play for a few more years. Enditem

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