Players of China react after winning Cuba during a Pool B match at the FIVB Women's World Championship Japan 2018 in Sapporo, Japan, Sept. 29, 2018. China won 3-0. (Xinhua/Du Xiaoyi)
SAPPORO, Japan, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- China hammered Cuba in straight sets here Saturday at their opening match for the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.
The match was a rather lopsided one, with the Chinese Olympic champions taking dominance for most of the time, ending the three sets 25-12, 25-23 and 25-14, respectively.
Star spiker Zhu Ting and blocker Yuan Xinyue got 16 points respectively to lead the game. Cuba also has two players who scored in double figures.
"We hadn't played Cuba for years, and were not familiar with their style. The Cubans played very well in the second set," said China coach Lang Ping after the game.
"We tried to put more players on the court today and to give them the chance to play and get used to the games. We hoped to find our own rhythm in the opening match of the tournament," she added.
Cuba has won three titles at the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship in 1978, 1994 and 1998 respectively. But the team has not been in good form in recent years.
China and Cuba previously had seven encounters at the Women's World Championship, with China winning five of them, including hammering Cuba in straight sets in the 2014 tournament.
China opened the first set with a 3-0 lead and enlarged the margin to win 25-12 with a direct kill by Zeng Chunlei.
The Cubans managed to give China more troubles in the second set. Despite China's initial lead 18-13, the Cubans cut the margin to 19-17, and China only won the set narrowly 25-23.
In the third set, the Cubans failed again to turn the tide, and Yuan Xinyue's spike sealed the victory for China 25-14.
China will play Turkey in their second Group B game here on Sunday.
