Today (1 June) marks the penultimate day of the Women’s Volleyball Nations League 2024 Macao presented by Galaxy Entertainment Group, jointly organized by the Sports Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, Galaxy Entertainment Group, and the Volleyball Association of Macao, China.

China won against Thailand after victories for Brazil and Japan versus Italy and the Dominican Republic, respectively.

Three matches will be played on the final day of the event tomorrow (2 June), namely France v Netherlands at 12:30 p.m., Brazil v Thailand at 4 p.m. and China v Italy at 7:30 p.m.

China back to winning ways

Hosts China rebounded from losing to Japan yesterday (31 May) to score a straight-set win over Thailand. China installed Zhu Ting to the starting lineup, and together with Yuan Xinyue and Li Yingying showed great determination to win the match. China started the first set strongly and withstood a late rally from Thailand to win 25-23, thanks in part to a combined 15 points from Zhu Ting and Li Yingying. China maintained their consistent play through the second set (25-17), with Li Yingying repeatedly breaking Thailand’s defense and Yuan Xinyue making significant contributions. The third set (25-18) mirrored the second as the Thai side could not provide answers to China’s all-round attack. Li Yingying topped the scorers’ chart with 23 points, while teammates Zhu Ting and Yuan Xinyue chipped in with 17 and 13.

Brazil wins thriller

Brazil defeated Italy in a closely-fought five-setter in the first match of the day. Both teams aimed to continue their winning streaks after having scored two wins this week. The first two sets went to deuce, with Brazil taking the opener 26-24 and Italy edging the second 27-25. Italy took advantage of Brazil’s drop off in attack to win the third set 25-18, and continued to build on the momentum as they led 17-14 in the fourth. Brazil, however, recovered and managed to snatch the set 25-19 thanks to powerful play by Ana Cristina Souza. Led by captain Gabriela Guimarães, Brazil’s all-round play in the fifth set proved decisive as they won the decider 15-10 to record their third win in this year’s VNL Macao.

Japan overcomes Dominican Republic

Japan prevailed in a close battle against the Dominican Republic this afternoon. The teams traded offense and defense early before Japan stepped up their game to win the first set 25-20. The Dominican Republic made a swift recovery, taking the second set 25-23. The Dominican Republic continued to put pressure on Japan in the third set, with Gaila González-Lopez contributing nine points, but Japan showcased their flexible tactics to win the key points and the set 26-24. In the crucial fourth set, the Dominican Republic jumped out to an early big lead, but their opponents gradually came back to knot it up at 22-22. Japan’s superior defense was the difference at the end as they secured the set 25-23 and the match, concluding the Macao leg with three wins and one loss.

Tickets sales have received overwhelming response. Limited tickets for S9 (France v Netherlands at 12:30 p.m. on 2 June) are available for purchase via Damai application and mini program and MacauTicket.com. In addition, limited tickets are available for sale at the Galaxy Arena. Each person can purchase a maximum of four tickets per session. Every person taller than 1.2m in height requires a ticket for admission. Children who are less than 1.2m in height and do not occupy a seat can enter the venue free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult at all times, and each adult can only bring along one child.

For more details, please visit the event website at www.macaovnl.com or the Sports Bureau website at www.sport.gov.mo, or follow the ‘Macao Major Sporting Events’ Facebook page, ‘澳門體育’ WeChat official account and ‘澳門特區體育局’ (Macao SAR Sports Bureau) WeChat subscription account.