Gong reflects on China's 10th women's volleyball crown at Asian Games

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Defending champions China clinched a record-extending 10th gold medal in women's volleyball at the Asian Games, overpowering East Asian rivals Japan with a decisive 3-0 victory in the final in Nagoya.  

Captain Gong Xiangyu couldn't conceal her delight. The victory provided a welcome confidence boost to China following the squad's shock defeat to Thailand in the Asian Championship final last month.  In an exclusive interview with Sports Scene's Shen Xiang, Gong highlighted the significance of this triumphant comeback.

"I'm very happy that we could win the gold at this Asian Games," Gong expressed. "This is also our team's third consecutive title over the past three editions, so I'm really happy to have had this opportunity to represent the Chinese women's volleyball team and compete at this Asian Games."  

The final match featured fierce competition as China and Japan exchanged points in the opening set. Gradually, China established control, sealing the first set 25-19. The second set saw China maintaining a slight lead amid intense rallies, culminating in a 25-20 victory. In an unexpected turn, Japan surged to a 7-1 lead in the third set, prompting China to call a timeout. Refocused, China capitalized on their serving and blocking strengths, leveling the score at 19-19 before eventually clinching the set 25-23 after four tense deuces.

Gong elaborated on the mindset shift that propelled the team to victory. "The biggest adjustment was in our mindset. After the loss at the AVC women’s volleyball Continental Championship, we did run into some difficulties, but we didn't fall in the face of them, we stood back up. Starting from our first match at the Asian Games, we built up little by little. Through the knockout rounds, the quarterfinals, the semifinals, I think everyone on the court went through a lot and overcame a lot of difficulties to win today's match. So I think everyone did a great job."  

Reflecting on the match dynamics, she acknowledged, "At the start, we were in a very passive position, at first, everyone was a bit anxious. But everyone on the court had a huge desire to win. What we were thinking was, as long as the final point hasn't hit the floor, we still have a chance. So at that moment, we focused more on every single point and every single part of the game."

"That's how we won the score back point by point, and in the end, we managed to grind out that set and take the win."