Press release

Lima, Peru, July 31, 2011—China rallied to defeat United States 20-25, 25-19, 25-16, 25-23 on Sunday in Lima to secure the bronze medal of the FIVB Volleyball Women’s Junior World Championship in Peru 2011.

With the victory, China earned third place, behind Italy and Brazil, who will compete for the gold medal at 18.00 in Lima. China's bronze medal represents the country's 10th medal in the 16 editions of the tournament. The United States ended the tournament in fourth place, which matched their previous best finish in the tournament.

Zhou Yang led China with 18 points and Yanchi Pi added 16 points in the victory. Qi Wang and Xiaoya Zhang contributed 10 points each in the victory. Haley Eckerman paced the United States with 18 points, Kelly Reeves charted 15 points and Haleigh Hampton added 13 points. China out-blocked United States 15-5 and held an 8-6 service ace advantage.

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The United States scored the first two points of the opening set on powerful kills by Kelly Reeves  (six points in set) and Haleigh Hampton. China scored the next two points on blocks by Zhou Yang and Qi Wang (four points in set). Reeves spiked the ball to send the United States into the first technical timeout with an 8-6 lead. The United States then scored the next three points to extend the lead with Hannah Allison serving well. By the second technical timeout with the United States leading 16-11, Eckerman (seven points in set) and Reeves had combined to score half of the United States’ points. China called a timeout with the United States leading 19-13 and scored the next four points until Eckerman ended China’s rally with a kill. Yanchi Pi (five points in set) had the kill for China to tie the set at 20. The United States scored the next five points to win the set with Carly Wopat serving.

China scored the first two points of the second set, but the United States responded and tied the score at 3-3. The two teams traded leads and China went into the first technical timeout leading 8-7. The United States called timeout after China scored four consecutive points to lead 14-11 behind blocks by Zhou Yang (seven points in set) and Xiaoya Zhang (four points in set). A spike by Zhang on China’s second hit caught the United States off-guard and sent China into the second technical timeout with a 16-13 lead. China built a lead as large as seven. Haley Eckerman paced the United States with six points in the set.

The momentum continued for China into the third set as they scored the first three points. China went into the first technical timeout with an 8-2 lead as Long Cheng recorded two blocks early for China. With the United States losing 11-3, coach Robert Browning called a timeout and substituted setter Lauren Plum into the game for the first time. Madelyn Hutson (three points in set) hit back-to-back kills, but China still went into the second technical timeout with a (16-7) lead due to precise serving by Huimin Wang and several kills by Yanchi Pi (six points in set). China continued to extend the lead, behinds several blocks by Zhou Yang.

In the fourth set, the United States took their first lead since early in the second set. With the set tied at three, China scored four consecutive points, behind several kills by Zhou Yang (four points in set) and went into the first technical timeout leading 8-4. The United States came charging back to tie the score at 13-all behind the serving and kills of Kelly Reeves (four points in set). China went into the second technical timeout leading 16-13 and extended the lead to as high as six points at 23-17. The United States then scored four consecutive points, but China held on and won the set when a United States serve failed to clear the net.