"Everybody on the team contributed and it is great when you can do that. We will take this into the Olympics and fight every match," she added.

Tayyiba Haneef-Park, who scored the last three points of the United States in the tiebreak, finished with game-high 23 points and Logan Tom added 20.

There was a very Sunday morning feel to the game, as it started in a leisurely manner before quickly developing into a fast and hard-hitting inter-continental encounter.

A large group of flag-waving, singing Chinese high in the arena greeted their red-shirted volleyball queens, and also gave a warm welcome to Lang Ping. The Chinese legend replied with a grateful wave of acknowledgment as the official warm-up came to an end.

The Untied States held a one-point advantage at the first TTO, and play resumed with a Lindsey Berg ace that dropped over after thudding into the net cord.

When Berg's next fiery delivery unsettled the Chinese reception, coach Chen took his team off for a TO trailing 10-7.

Haneef-Park kept up the good work with a thumping winner down the middle, only for Yang Hao to blaze one past the American block on the left for 12-10.

Tom unleashed a languid yet powerful spike from a deep position thanks to her athletic attacking technique, and the Americans were looking good at 16-12 at the second TTO when Kimberly Glass finished off a loose ball at the net.

Trailing by 18-15, China ran off three straight points through Yang Hao, Zhou Suhong and Zhao Ruirui to level it 18-all, but the United States pulled away again with a 4-1 run.

Then the Americans had two set points at 24-22, and Foluke Akinradewo made no mistake on the second of those to wrap up the first set 25-23.

Falling down 18-11 in the second set, China head coach Chen Zhonghe replaced star setter Feng Kun with Wei Qiuyue, who helped the Chinese women cut it to 20-16 but could not save them from dropping the set at 25-19.

With Wei in the starting line-up for the third set, China fought back to build a 14-9 lead and held on for the victory at 25-22.

In the fourth, Feng Kun came back to court to help China erase an early 7-5 deficit on their way to the 25-21 win.

The two sides traded runs to tie it at 14-all in the tiebreak. Haneef-Park made it 15-14, but Xue struck again for deuce, saving a second match point.

Again Haneef-Park brought up match point, and won it at the third attempt, 17-15.

"In today's match our play was not stable, especially our setters," said China head coach Chen Zhonghe. "The combination between the setter and attackers was not so smooth."

"We could not follow up the one-touch ball. As a result of these mistakes we could not get the chance to win this match."

Zhao Ruirui led China with 20 points and Wang Yimei added 18.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2008)