Japan extended its unblemished record to nine with a remarkable comeback against China in five grueling sets, winning 24-26, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12 on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Ryujin Nippon relied on its passing and service to break a 5-all deadlock and take an 11-8 lead, thanks to a kill by Kento Miyaura. Another powerful attack from the opposite hitter sealed the match after more than two hours.
League-leading Japan had to dig deep into their bench for a game-changer, and coach Philipp Blain found one in Miyaura, helping them outlast the upset-seeking Chinese in yet another five-setter.
“I am happy that we won this game. We had a difficult time as we lost the first set. So, we had to change our mindset. For me, I just focused on how I play and how to score points,” said the 24-year-old opposite hitter, who ended with 15 points from 14 attacks and a service ace.
Japan set the tone of the match by capitalizing on China’s passing struggles, scoring three service aces, two of which came from Ran Takahashi.
China, however, slowly made a comeback with stronger net defense, denying Japan’s scoring opportunities. A service ace from Zhang Jingyi and an off-the-block kill from Li Yongzhen completed the turnaround.
The next three sets were tightly contested, with China maintaining their strong presence at the net, forcing Japan to be more creative in their offense.
Zhang and Yu Yuantai contributed the bulk of the points for China, while Miyaura and captain Yuji Ishikawa kept Japan in the fight, ultimately pushing the match to a deciding set.
Ishikawa added 19 points, including 16 spikes, two blocks, and a service ace. Takahashi contributed 14 points from 10 attacks and four crucial aces.
Japan will aim for their 10th consecutive victory in the tournament when they face the Netherlands on Friday at 7 p.m.
Zhang scored a game-high 21 points from 17 spikes, along with two blocks and two aces, while Yu also finished with 17 points from 15 attacks and two service aces.
China, now with a 2-7 record, will seek to end their losing streak when they face Slovenia the day before, also at 7 p.m.
