China's spirited run at the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Finals ended Wednesday with a hard-fought 3-1 quarterfinal loss to world No. 4 Brazil in Ningbo. The host team stunned the championship favorites early, claiming a marathon 31-29 first set through aggressive blocking led by Wen Zihua and Yu Yuantai.
"I'm proud of the team's evolution," China coach Vital Heynen told reporters. "We showed defensive grit today that was missing earlier in the tournament."
Brazil's experience proved decisive after China squandered a 17-14 second-set lead, conceding nine straight points. The South American squad then dominated the third set before closing out the match 25-21 in the fourth, powered by Alan Souza's match-high 26 points.
Heynen acknowledged the gap in technical maturity but highlighted progress: "We don't know how to win yet, but this fighting spirit gives me confidence for September's World Championship."
China's elimination comes as the VNL adopts a single-elimination format for the first time. Earlier Wednesday, Italy defeated Cuba 3-1 to secure a semifinal berth. The tournament continues Thursday with France vs Slovenia and Japan vs Poland quarterfinals.
