Women's volleyball team sail into quarterfinals

China's players celebrate a point against South Korea during their women's Group B volleyball match at Earls Court during the London 2012 Olympic Games August 5, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

LONDON - China beat Asian arch rival South Korea 3-2 to make into women's volleyball event of the London Olympics on Sunday.

China won the match 28-16, 22-25, 25-19, 22-25, 15-10 with impressive blocking and stunning performances of super substitution Zeng Chunlei. Wing spiker Kim Yeon-koung scored a game high 32 points for South Korea.

The first set started close when the two sides tie 4-4, when South Korea led 19-9 with a 15-5 run. Jung Dae-young and Han Song-yi hit kills for South Korea and Kim Yeon-koung devastated China's receives with powerful jump serves. But, the Chinese collected themselves and staged a brilliant 10-2 run to come back 19-21, when wing spiker Chu Jinling ?attack from left court and South Korean's top score Kim was in the back front.

The teams traded blows, and opposite spiker Zhang Lei helped China save three set points to tie 26-26. With a kill and duo block, China took the set 28-26.

The second set mirrored the opener, with more errors from China and the spiking of South Korean Yang Hyo-jin and Kim Hee-jin the difference. The South Korean team built an early led 11-5, and kept the advantage 19-15. Kim Hee-jin took the set point 24-19 for South Korea, when China save three set points with middle blocker Xu Yunli's kill and block.

Kim Yeon-koung wasted another chance to end the set with a out-of-court spike, but a serve-out from China's Jun surrendered the set 22-25 to South Koreans.

China edged ahead 12-11 in the third set and stretched the advantage 23-16 with lierbo Zhang Xian pulled off some great defensive moves and Chu and another wing hitter Hui Ruoqi spiked well.

South Korea pulled back three points again with shining Kim Yeon-koung kills and block, but Chu and Hui's spiking influence was telling. China won 25-19.

The fourth set saw the teams tied 10-all, when the two Kims gave South Korea a healthy lead 19-12, and they ran away with the set, 25-22.

China lead 8-6 at the decider and came to the match point 14-9 with a 6-3 run. Kim Yeon-koung pulled back one point with an unanswered spike, but middle blocker Xu Yunli gave the set, and the match 15-10 with a drop.

Earlier, Domnican Republic beat Algeria to make into Top 8.

Besides South Korea, China play in the same pool with defending champion Brazil, world No 1 US, Turkey and Serbia. Italy, Russia, Japan, Algeria, the Dominican Republic and host Britain make up the other six-team pool. The top four teams to emerge out of each pool will play the quarterfinals.