Upset alert! Live coverage of the Women's Volleyball World Championship, China vs. France, China lost the first set 20-25!

On August 31st Beijing time, the round of 16 in the Women's Volleyball World Championship is underway. The quarterfinal clash between China and France is in progress. The first set ended with China, typically slow to warm up, falling behind and losing 20-25, trailing 0-1 in the match. This unexpected beginning raises the question: is an upset about to happen?

The Chinese women's volleyball team is competing with a completely new lineup in this tournament, with very few veteran players. To prepare for the upcoming Los Angeles Olympics, we must plan ahead. This World Championship serves as a test for these young players, and everyone is eager to see how they will perform in this event!

In the group stage, our overall performance was steady. Although we faced some challenges against Mexico and Colombia, we advanced smoothly. However, in the third match against the stronger Dominican Republic, we played very dominantly, winning three straight sets to sweep the opponent, securing three consecutive wins and clinching first place to advance to the last 16. In the round of 16, we face the underdog France team, who have improved significantly and cannot be underestimated. The main attackers for this match are Zhuang Yushan and Wu Mengjie!

After the match started, the teams were briefly tied at 3-3, then France’s multi-point attack led to a 5-0 run, extending their lead to 8-3. China called two timeouts but to no avail. France continued to dominate, leading 9-3. China made substitutions, bringing in Li Yingying. China fought hard to catch up but was consistently held back by France, struggling to close the gap. Soon France reached set point at 24-19. China saved one match point, but then Li Yingying served out of bounds, and China lost the first set 20-25!

Judging by the first set, China played very poorly—serves lacked power, attacks struggled to finish points. Losing so painfully even to France is quite unexpected. Hopefully, this won’t turn into a full upset. Keep fighting!

Written by / Sports Novel