China men's volleyball team beat Serbia for first time in 15 years

World 24th-ranked China celebrated its head coach Vital Heynen's 56th birthday by breaking the curse to defeat Serbia in straight sets at the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Xi'an leg on Thursday.

World No. 10 Serbia had previously won all ten meetings against China since 2010, including a 3-0 sweep in their most recent clash at the 2023 VNL.

Li Yongzhen of China spikes the ball during the Pool 3 match between China and Serbia at the Men's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, June 12, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Yibo)

Just 24 hours after suffering a 3-0 loss to world No. 6 Japan, a match in which Heynen said his team didn't play as a team and didn't show what they do in training, China bounced back strongly.

Meanwhile, it is undeniable that Serbia had come off a grueling five-set victory late the previous night. "The Serbians are tired," said Heynen. "We had the home advantage. They played after us yesterday."

Both teams started the match intensely, with the score seesawing early on. Chinese 33-year-old veteran Ji Daoshuai played a key role in the first set, contributing 8 points to help China take it 25-23.

After winning another close set 25-23, China gained more confidence and momentum. Serbia called a timeout trailing 13-18 in the third set, but the energized Chinese squad kept its composure, sealing the set 25-20 to secure a historic victory.

With the victory, China earned 15.98 points, moving up to world No. 20 in the rankings, while Serbia fell back to 12th place.

"China played really well today, while we didn't," said Serbia captain Marko Ivovic, who had a team-high 12 points. "Maybe it was because we played a late match yesterday and lost a lot of energy."

"I think China is more patient than before. They're starting to play more like European teams, like the French. More patient and waiting for the right moments. They used chances better than we did, and that made the difference," Ivovic added.

"They did a clean volleyball without mistakes. They deserved the win. They were smarter than us in crucial moments," said Serbia head coach Cretu Gheorghe.

After the post-match interview, Heynen led the team on a lap around the court, high-fiving fans in celebration. The home crowd sang "Happy Birthday," delivering their special birthday wishes to the coach.

"We're going to win even more. I want to show everyone in China that this men's national team has potential," Heynen said.

"I always forget my birthday, so it's a nice present. But I'm much happier just for the players, not for me," added the 56-year-old.