In a thrilling reversal of fortunes, China's men's volleyball team defeated world No. 10 Serbia 3-0 at the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League in Xi'an on Thursday. The victory marked China's first win against Serbia since 2010, breaking a 10-match losing streak against their European rivals.
World No. 24 China capitalized on home advantage and a birthday boost for head coach Vital Heynen, who turned 56 during the match. The team rebounded strongly from a 3-0 loss to Japan just 24 hours earlier, with veteran player Ji Daoshuai leading the charge by scoring eight crucial points in the tense 25-23 first set.
"They did clean volleyball without mistakes. They deserved the win," acknowledged Serbia's head coach Cretu Gheorghe.
The match saw China demonstrate improved tactical patience, with Serbian captain Marko Ivovic noting: "They're starting to play more like European teams… waiting for the right moments." The victory propelled China to 20th in world rankings while Serbia dropped to 12th.
Post-match celebrations featured fans singing "Happy Birthday" to Coach Heynen, who emphasized team progress over personal milestones: "I'm much happier for the players than for myself. We're going to win even more."
