Kazakhstan's women's volleyball team lost to defending Asian Games champions China 0-3 (18-25, 6-25, 14-25) and finished second in Group B at the Asian Games in Japan, according to infohub.kz.

Both teams had already secured their quarterfinal berths with wins over the Philippines, so their head-to-head match decided first place in the group.

China, the opponent of the Kazakh volleyball players, is a three-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, five-time World Cup winner, 18-time Asian champion, and nine-time Asian Games gold medalist. It comes as no surprise that China's volleyball is on another level.

In the second set, the opponents allowed Askar Shalkibekov's charges to score only six points. In the first and third sets, the Kazakh team tried to put up resistance but managed only isolated successes.

The result: 0-3 in just 60 minutes. Kazakhstan finished second in the group, China first.

Besides China and Kazakhstan, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Vietnam also secured playoff spots. The quarterfinal pairings have not yet been officially announced. The matches will take place on September 20.

ASIAN GAMES 2026. Volleyball. Women.

Group A: Japan 3-0 Nepal, Indonesia 3-0 Nepal. Standings: 1. Japan — 3, 2. Indonesia — 3, 3. Nepal — 0.

Group B: China 3-0 Philippines, Kazakhstan 3-1 Philippines, China 3-0 Kazakhstan. Standings: 1. China — 6, 2. Kazakhstan — 3, 3. Philippines — 0.

Group C: Thailand 3-0 Mongolia, Chinese Taipei 3-0 Kyrgyzstan, Chinese Taipei 3-0 Mongolia, Thailand 3-0 Kyrgyzstan. Standings: 1. Thailand — 6, 2. Chinese Taipei — 6, 3. Kyrgyzstan — 0, 4. Mongolia — 0.

Group D: Vietnam 3-0 Qatar, South Korea 3-0 Hong Kong, South Korea 3-0 Qatar, Vietnam 3-0 Hong Kong, Hong Kong 3-0 Qatar. Standings: 1. South Korea — 6, 2. Vietnam — 6, 3. Hong Kong — 3, 4. Qatar — 0.

The XX Summer Asian Games in Japan will officially open on September 19. The multi-sport event, featuring athletes from 45 countries, will award 460 sets of medals: 217 in men's events, 204 in women's events, and 39 in mixed events. Competitions will be held in 68 disciplines across 41 sports.

Kazakhstan will be represented by 559 athletes at the 2026 Asian Games.