China crushed Serbia 3-0 for the 10th straight win and secured a record-equaling fifth Volleyball Women's World Cup on Saturday.
Playing in Osaka, Japan, the Chinese won 25-14, 25-21, 25-16 over Serbia, at the FIVB championship with one round still to go.
Ace player Zhu Ting contributed 18 points to help the champions add to their previous titles in 1981, 1985, 2003 and 2015.
Lang Ping (L), China's head coach and Zhu Ting (R), the team's ace player, give each other high fives after the 3-0 victory over Serbia at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup in Osaka, Japan, September 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
"We have one more match left and we need to focus on how to win it. Before that, I want to congratulate our team and our players. We fought Serbia's backup team today and they were good. Besides, it doesn't matter which players they send. What matters is that our players did their best. Winning the championship is both encouragement and a new start for the team. Next we will concentrate on preparing for the Olympics in Tokyo," said Lang Ping, head coach of China.
Zhang Changning who scored 16 points in Saturday's match could not hide her excitement: "I'm grateful that I did not give up, grateful to my family who never stopped encouraging me, and grateful to my coach and teammates who helped me so much."
The winners' trophy of the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup on display in Osaka, Japan, September 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
China draw level with Cuba to become the only teams that have won the World Cup five times. It was also the second time that they defended the title successfully.
The Chinese women's team now have 10 titles at the world's top three volleyball events – three from the Olympic Games, two from the World Championships and five at World Cups.
China's head coach Lang Ping watches the game against Serbia at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup in Osaka, Japan, September 28, 2019. /VCG Photo
The Osaka tournament was the sixth edition coach Lang has attended, first as a player and then as coach. She has never been out of the medals, securing four golds and two bronzes.
Lang's contribution to Chinese volleyball was way bigger than winning titles and the more valuable treasure she left with the team was a new golden generation. Many key players of the franchise were found, selected and raised by Lang.
When Lang took over in April 2013, Zhu Ting, one of the best players in today's world, was still playing for the Chinese youth team. China's blocking tower Yuan Xinyue was just a member of the teenager team. As for Gong Xiangyu and Zhang Changning, they would have been nobody if Lang had not found their talents.
Thanks to the discerning ability of the young players, China now has a young, winning franchise. The team's leader Zhu was born in 1994. Yuan, Zhang and Gong were born in 1996, 1995 and 1997 respectively. China's big surprise in the event, Li Yingying, is still only 19 years old.
Considering the youth of the team, it's likely that China will repeat the 10-consecutive-win record again in the future. Furthermore, this is not even their best squad. Some of the country's best players are still waiting to contend for gold at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
In a match that ended earlier on Saturday, South Korea beat Brazil 3-1, ruining the South Americans' last hope for a medal. The result also confirmed the final top three rankings of the World Cup: China, USA, and Russia.