Fujian women's volleyball team stay unbeaten in National Games qualifiers

Fujian, Jiangsu and Beijing have secured their berths to the women's volleyball competition of China's 15th National Games, with one round of qualifiers remaining in the preliminary Group B.

SHANGLUO, China, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Fujian defeated Yunnan 3-0 on Wednesday in the women's volleyball preliminaries of China's 15th National Games, securing its fourth straight win.

Fujian dominated the first set 25-14. In the second set, Yunnan - which had only one win in three games - pushed Fujian hard, building a four-point lead midway through.

Fujian regrouped by adjusting its lineup. Led by local stars Zhuang Yushan and Zheng Yixin, the team rallied to take the set 25-21.

The third set was decisive, with Fujian closing out the match 25-11. The Group B leader will next face Zhejiang on Thursday.

"We prepared for the qualifiers very well. All the players, including the veterans, obey our orders seriously. Compared with other competitors, we are in a much better situation," Fujian head coach Shen Ze told Xinhua.

Also on Wednesday, reigning Chinese Women's Volleyball Super League champion Jiangsu defeated Zhejiang 25-19, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19. Jiangsu sits second in the group with one match remaining.

Under the tournament format, 13 teams are split into two groups. The top five from each group will qualify for the 15th National Games, while the remaining three teams will compete in a playoff from April 1-2 for one additional spot, joining host team Guangdong.

In Wednesday's other Group B action, Beijing swept Sichuan 3-0 to secure its National Games berth.

On Thursday, Yunnan, Sichuan and Zhejiang will battle for Group B's final two qualification spots. ■