Zhang Changning fires off 37 against Belgium

There's a new entrant in the list of players to have scored 30 points or more in a single FIVB Volleyball Nations League match, after China captain Zhang Changning delivered 37 points in her side's five-set defeat to Belgium, Sunday morning at Italy's Adriatic Resort of Rimini.

Twenty-five-year-old Zhang got 35 points from attacking (35/77 for 45%) and added two more from blocking.

She enters the list at number five. Poland's Malwina Smarzek holds the all-time VNL record with 42 points in four sets against Bulgaria in 2019.

Zhang is the second player of the current VNL to make the list.

Last week Britt Herbots of Belgium scored 33 against the Dominican Republic and 32 against Korea.

But this time, despite leading Belgium to another epic five-set win, Herbots stopped at 28.

Nonetheless, the nine blocks (out of Belgium's total 17 in the match) by Marlies Janssens ties the all-time VNL record for most blocks in a single match. Poland's Agnieszka Kakolewska (in four sets against Germany) and Brazil's Adenizia 'Ade' da Silva (in five against Russia), both from 2018, have also registered nine blocks in a single VNL match.

The all-time VNL team record for most blocks in a single match remains 22 by Russia against Turkey in 2018.

• Check out the full statistics of the Belgium v China match

The only other Chinese player on the 'Over 30s' list is Zhu Ting with two entries, both from 2018: 36 points against the Netherlands (in four sets) and 34 points against Brazil (in five).