Macao.– On the volleyball court, China defeated the Dominican Republic in straight sets 25-16, 25-22, 25-21 in the third preliminary round of the FIVB Grand Prix in Macao.

China started the first set with an early lead 12-5 and quickly closed the set in merely 18 minutes.

The Dominicans came back in the second set and trailed only two points late in the set. But China kept strong and took the second set as well.

The Dominicans had the lead at 14-13 in the third set. However China soon caught up and took the lead at the second technical time-out due to good blocks by middle blocker Xue Ming.

"We try to follow our plan. As we are not qualified for the Olympic Games, we take this as an opportunity to gain experience for our young players. We have 2 players of 16 years old, and that is important for them," Dominican Republic head coach told FIVB.

Earlier in the day, arch rivals Brazil hammered Japan in straight sets. The Brazilians dominated the game right from the beginning and never gave the Japanese side any chances.