Asian champion China defeated host Japan 3-0 to win the women's volleyball World Cup on Saturday, wrapping up the Olympic qualification tournament with a perfect 11-0 record.
China never looked in any danger of an upset defeat by holding onto the lead throughout at Namihaya Dome and cruised to a 25-18, 25-18, 25-13 win to claim its first World Cup title in five meets and third overall.
Brazil finished second with a 10-1 record after beating Italy 3-1 while the United States went 8-3 to claim the third and final berth to next year's Athens Olympics with a straight-set win over Olympic champion Cuba. The U.S. win meant Japan had no chance of qualifying for Athens at this tournament going into its match against China, and it finished in fifth place in the 12-team table with a 7-4 record.