China has successfully advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship following their second Pool F victory against Colombia. Despite an unexpected set loss, the Asian team emerged triumphant in four sets, mirroring their tournament debut’s resilience.
The match in Chiang Mai saw the South Americans mount a strong comeback after losing the first set, pushing the game to a tie. However, China reasserted its dominance in the third and fourth sets, securing a decisive 3-1 victory (25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 25-16) and punching their ticket to the elimination rounds.
On the same day, the Dominican Republic also made quick work of Mexico in the NORCECA Derby, winning 3-0 (25-15, 25-17, 25-20). These results ensure both China and the Dominican Republic, each with six points, have claimed the two available spots in the Round of 16, while Colombia and Mexico are now out of contention.
Outside hitter Zhuang Yushan was the offensive driving force for China, contributing a team-high 17 points (12 kills, five blocks). Captain and opposite Gong Xiangyu was also pivotal in their win, adding 15 points (13 kills, two blocks).
“After losing the second set, our main focus was to put that behind us and maintain our energy for the following sets,” Zhuang commented. “I am very pleased that we’ve qualified for the elimination rounds. These first two matches were challenging, and we are determined to elevate our performance moving forward.”
Despite the loss, Colombia’s outside hitter Ana Karina Olaya led all scorers with an impressive 21 points (19 kills, one block, one ace). Teammates Laura Pascua added 14 points (12 kills, two aces) and opposite Dayana Segovia contributed 12 points (ten kills, two blocks), showing strong individual efforts.
Colombian setter María Alejandra Marín reflected, “We feel much better today because our first game wasn’t good. I believe we have a really strong team and could have performed better against the Dominican Republic. We are enjoying our experience here, and our next focus is the match against Mexico. We see an opportunity to win that game and are committed to achieving it.”
Colombia’s high error count proved detrimental, conceding 28 points to China’s 11. While China excelled in kills (56 to 50) and blocks (12 to seven), Colombia had a slight edge in aces (three to two).
The final matches for Pool F in Chiang Mai are scheduled for Wednesday. Colombia will battle Mexico for their first tournament victory at 16:00 local time (9:00 GMT), followed by China and the Dominican Republic competing for the top seed at 19:30 (12:30 GMT).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick