INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
World 24th-ranked China celebrated their head coach Vital Heynens 56th birthday by defeating Serbia in straight sets at the FIVB Mens
Volleyball Nations League in Xian, northwest Chinas Shaanxi Province, on Thursday.World No
10 Serbia had actually formerly won all 10 conferences versus China considering that 2010, including a 3-0 sweep in their latest clash at
the Nations League in 2023
Just 24 hours after suffering a 3-0 loss to world No
6 Japan, a match in which Heynen said his group didnt play as a group and didnt show what they perform in training, China bounced
back.Meanwhile, it is indisputable that Serbia had actually come off a grueling five-set triumph late the previous night
The Serbians are worn out, stated Heynen
We had the home advantage
They played after us yesterday
Both teams started the match intensely, with ball game seesawing early on
Chinese 33-year-old veteran Ji Daoshuai played a key role in the very first set, contributing eight indicate assist China take it 25-23
After winning another close set 25-23, China acquired more confidence and momentum
Serbia called a timeout tracking 13-18 in the 3rd set, however the energized Chinese squad kept their composure, sealing the set 25-20 to
secure a historic victory.With the victory, China made 15.98 points, going up to world No
20 in the rankings, while Serbia fell to 12th place
China played truly well today, while we didnt, stated Serbia captain Marko Ivovic, who had a team-high 12 points
Maybe it was since we played a late match the other day and lost a lot of energy
I believe China is more patient than in the past
Theyre beginning to play more like European teams, like the French
More patient and waiting on the ideal moments
They used possibilities better than we did, and that made the difference, Ivovic included
They did a tidy beach ball without mistakes
They were smarter than us in turning points, said Serbia head coach Cretu Gheorghe.After the post-match interview, Heynen led the team on a
lap around the court, high-fiving fans in event
The home crowd sang Happy Birthday, delivering their special birthday wishes to the coach
Were going to win a lot more
I want to show everyone in China that this maless nationwide group has prospective, Heynen stated
I constantly forget my birthday, so its a good present
But Im much happier just for the players, not for me
