Zhuang Yushan led all scorers as China rallied from two sets down, setting up Saturday’s semifinal against Türkiye in Macao
China stun USA to reach Women’s Volleyball Nations League semifinal
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Seventh-ranked China upset third-ranked USA 3-2 in Thursday’s Women’s Volleyball Nations League quarterfinal in Macao, reaching the semifinals for the first time since 2023 in front of a crowd of 4,400.
USA took the first set comfortably at 25-15, powered by Dana Rettke’s dominance at the net. China levelled with a 25-23 second set win, closing it out on two kills from outside hitter Zhuang Yushan after trailing 11-7 midway through. China then edged ahead 2-1 with a 25-20 third set, but USA forced a decider by taking the fourth 25-17 behind a strong finishing run.
The fifth set stayed close throughout, with China twice clawing back from three-point deficits before pulling away late. Eighteen-year-old Wang Aoqian sealed the win with a kill through the middle for a 15-13 finish.
[See more: Women’s Volleyball Nations League Finals in Macao: 2026 guide]
Zhuang finished as China’s top scorer with 17 points, including an ace and a block. Captain Gong Xiangyu added 15, Tang Xin scored 13, and Wang Yuanyuan contributed 12. China made fewer unforced errors than USA, 20 to 26, and won the battle at the net 9 kill blocks to 7, despite USA out-hitting them 74-58 in spike kills.
Zhuang called the win a confidence boost for the team’s chances in the Women’s Volleyball Nations League after China’s past struggles in five-set matches, adding, “We advanced to the semifinals.”
Jordan Thompson led all scorers with 24 points for USA, which reached the Women’s Volleyball Nations League Preliminary Phase as the top-ranked team but will now miss the semifinals for a third straight year. Thompson credited China’s performance, calling their level of play “amazing,” while acknowledging the US had not played its best.
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What’s next in the Women’s Volleyball Nations League
In the day’s other quarterfinal, Türkiye beat Canada 3-1 to reach the last four.
The Women’s Volleyball Nations League tournament resumes Saturday at the Macau East Asian Games Dome after a rest day, with Brazil facing Italy at 4 pm ahead of China’s semifinal against Türkiye at 7:30 pm. The bronze and gold medal matches follow on Sunday.
Tickets remain on sale through Galaxy Ticketing, the Damai app, and Macau Ticketing’s website and app, priced between 280 and 1,380 patacas depending on match and seating section.
