Vietnam rallied to defeat the Chinese men's volleyball team 3-2 in their opening match at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia on Monday.

The Vietnamese took the first two sets (25-23, 26-24) before losing their third and fourth frames (19-25, 22-25), sending the game to the decisive set.

Brave Vietnam finished the final set with a dramatic 21-19 score, claiming the first-ever win over China, one of the sport’s giants in Asia, in the history of Vietnamese volleyball.

China won three golds, three silvers and two bronzes in men's volleyball in previous Asian Games editions.

Monday’s victory allowed Vietnam to rank second in Pool E, while China stands at the third place.

The historic win surprised many Vietnamese fans, and even the players themselves.

“This is what [Vietnam's] men's volleyball has never done before. It is hard to beat China in major tournaments,” said a former Vietnamese women’s volleyball coach.

In the meantime, Thanh Thuan, one of the major scorers for Vietnam in Monday’s game, cheerfully said the victory brought the team great emotions.

“Overcoming China at the Asian Games is something few people would ever think of but we have made it,” Thuan said after winning the match.

“On behalf of the whole team, I would like to thank Vietnamese fans in Indonesia, and viewers in the homeland, for their support!” the player expressed his gratitude.

Following the victory over China, Vietnam will have two days off before playing Sri Lanka.

In their last group stage game, Vietnam will be challenged by Thailand, another strong opponent.