China beat South Korea in FIVB Women's Nations League opener

China beat South Korea in their opener at the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League in straight sets on Tuesday.

China led early 7-1 in the first set and did not face much resistance to take the set 25-15. As South Korea started to shake things up in offence in the second set, China responded with solid defense to double the lead 25-16, before the South Korean team conceded their 28th straight defeat in the event. 

A total of 16 teams play in three weekly phases in the sixth edition of the event as they fight for not only the title, but also the last four Olympic tickets that will go to the top teams after the preliminary round. The Chinese women are grouped to contend South Korea, USA, Canada and Serbia in the first phase in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro; the Netherlands, Japan, Italy and Thailand in the second phase in China's Macao Special Administrative Region; and Bulgaria, Türkiye, Germany and Poland in the last leg in China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Currently ranked sixth in the FIVB standings, the Rio Olympic champions will need to make sure they finish the job of qualifying for the Paris Games this time, after missing out on their first chance to qualify last year in September. The Chinese women theoretically have the highest chance to go through, as the five teams ranked higher have all earned their berths. The eight teams already in the Paris draw are hosts France, Türkiye, Serbia, Poland, USA, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Kenya. 

Earlier this year, China's top spikers Zhu Ting and Zhang Changning, as well as setter Ding Xia, who were all major contributors to the team's championship in Rio, announced their return to the national team. They went through medical recoveries after suffering an early exit in the Tokyo Games in 2021 when China ranked fifth in the group and failed to reach the knockout stage.

The return of the veterans lifted hopes for the team for this campaign, with Zhang being substituted on late in the match when the team were leading 21-11 in the third set. Zhu did not join the roster for the Brazil leg, but is scheduled to take the stage as early as the second phase in Macao.