CHICAGO, United States, July 20 (Xinhua) -- China suffered a straight-set defeat to world No. 7 Brazil in the men's Volleyball Nations League on Sunday.
China lost 25-16, 25-20, 25-21, extending its winless run to eight matches and ending the preliminary phase with one win and 11 defeats. However, China will still compete in the VNL Finals as host nation and will face Japan in the opening round.
"My biggest problem is that almost all my players are playing in the Chinese league. You have to adapt to this level, and you can see them getting better," said China head coach Vital Heynen.
"I still have a good feeling because I see us getting better, but we started with such a big gap behind them. We have to catch up so much before we come here," he added.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Poland beat the United States 3-0, while France eased past Bulgaria by the same scoreline.
The 2026 VNL Finals will be held in Ningbo, east China's Zhejiang Province, from July 29 to August 2. ■
