China rallied past Kazakhstan 25-12, 25-21, 25-10 to reach the classification round at the 22nd Asian Women's Volleyball Championship in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on Friday.
Grouped with Japan, India and Kazakhstan in the next round, China must finish in the top two places to reach the semifinals. The other group features Thailand, Vietnam, Australia and South Korea.
Team China seen during Asian Women's Volleyball Championship group stage match against Kazakhstan in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, September 1, 2023. /Xinhua
The Chinese women have won the event 13 times since it was launched in 1973, and enjoyed a 10-time winning streak after it was changed to a biennial event in 1987.
Featuring mostly younger players, the team won three straight matches without franchise players from the Women's Volleyball Nations League, in which the Chinese squad finished second in July.
Around the corner for the Chinese women are two major back-to-back events – an Olympic qualifier and the Hangzhou Asian Games. Both will take place in east China's Zhejiang Province spanning from mid-September to October 8.
(With input from Xinhua)