Volleyball Update: The FIVB Grand Prix 2010: China’s good start in the second round
China is in full bloom and constantly staying in the limelight at FIVB Grand Prix Women’s Volleyball Championship. The outstanding Chinese team had a very good start in the first phase of tournament; they played three pool-play matches in the first preliminary round and remained successful. The second round of the tournament kicked off on Friday, 13th August 2010 and China kept its unbeaten runs alive in the first encounter of the second-spell matches.
China took on Netherlands in the first match on 13th August 2010. China and Netherlands have been included in Group E, along with teams from Brazil and Dominican Republic. Group E matches are being organised in the city of Macau, China. This group has been under huge attention, as the defending champion Brazil are also included in the squad, which is likely to give a tough time to the other teams. China is scheduled to face Brazil in the last match of second round matches.
In the first match with Netherlands, China started off well. The team had a competitive edge over the Netherlands’ side, as they won a match against them in the first round. The Chinese servers opened the game by delivering excellent jump serves which landed exactly on the target. The team was prepared to extend their victory string and developed good timing among them. The court was dominated by the Chinese strong player-line. The back-court, attack line, and defence area was properly covered by the respective players.
They made good use of their strength and produced electrifying spikes, which helped them to score a lead over the Netherlands’ team. The China’s aces worked and they were able to pole 25-16 win in the first set.
The second set started in the similar fashion. The Netherlands’ team seemed struggling in the game but they failed to create any impression on China’s team. The game progressed and the fans were thrilled to witness a great play by China. The second set featured some cut-shots which travelled at a sharp angle across the net. The Netherlands’ team tried different combinations for hitting and digging of the ball but it didn’t seem to bring any improvement in the game. They experimented with floaters but China’s team handled the tricky serves carefully.
The second set also declared China’s victory. The score rested to 25-19 on the points’ block. The triumph in first two sets provided China a better start in the third set. They kept on influencing the Netherlands’ team and continued on scoring points. The Netherlands’ team utilized the trump-card and hit bump passes in the third set. The strategy was good but it was not enough to dismiss the heavy Chinese side which had already won two sets. China took a lead of fair points, which decreased the chances of Netherlands’ return in the game. In the end, Chinese players hit deceptive shots which apparently looked soft but transformed into a faster-knock by quick wrist and forearm rotation. Netherlands’ could only score 16 points in the third set, while China claimed a victory of 3-0 in the match. As a result, Netherlands was dropped to number 6 spot in the women’s volleyball ranking.
China is off to a good start in the second round matches and it certainly targets to create a buzz in the FIVB Grand Prix 2010. In the past, China has good records in the Olympic Games; it currently shares the top-ranking with Poland. The team has bright prospects to make its way to the final victory. In today’s fixtures, China will take on Brazil, while Netherlands’ will face the team from Dominican Republic.
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