China 3-0 Canada, 5 Wins in a Row
In week 2 of pool 3 of the Volleyball Nations League 2023 held in Hong Kong, China faced off against Canada in the second match of June 13. Playing in front of their home fans, China dominated the first two sets, winning 25-14 and 25-18.
The third set was closely contested, with Canada leading 22-24 near the end of the set. However, Canada failed to seize the chance to win the set, allowing China to even up the score and eventually win the set 29-27. Li Ying-ying was once again the top scorer of the match, contributing 14 points for the home team.
After the match, Li Ying-ying said that she performed satisfactorily, and she hopes to perform better in the upcoming matches. When asked to compare her role from the pool in Hong Kong in VNL 2019 to her role today, she stated that she mostly learned from her teammates four years ago, but today she is a mainstay of the team. She also thanked the Hong Kong fans for their support and cheering, which gave the team a lot of motivation, and she hopes that the fans will continue to support them in the upcoming matches.
According to Volleyball World, Diao Linyu also spoke about the game, saying that Canada is a strong team, and she enjoyed playing against them. She credited the team’s victory to their team spirit and expressed her happiness with the game.
During the match, Gong Xiang-yu was injured near the end of the third set after accidentally stepping on her teammate Wang Yun-lu. Li Ying-ying stated in the interview that Gong’s injury is not very serious, and the team doctor will continue to check on her later.
In their next match on June 16, China will face Bulgaria, while Canada will play against Bulgaria on June 15.
(Featured image source: Volleyball World)
(Written by Boris CHUNG Bok Man)