The Japan women's volleyball team defeated Germany in a spirited five-set match at Yoyogi National Gymnasium on Thursday. The hosts won the FIVB Women's World Cup fourth-round match 25-20, 25-23, 27-25, 25-17, 15-12.
Yukiko Ebata led Japan with 25 spike points and Saori Kimura had 22.
"Today's match was one we couldn't lose; a very important one," Ebata told reporters. "We did well today and I think we have to win tomorrow against the United States. We'll do our best against them."
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.