Germany pulled off the biggest shock of Pool B so far when they overcame Olympic champions China 3-1 at the FIVB Volleyball World Championship for Women in Sapporo on Sunday.

Fresh from their demolition of Azerbaijan on Saturday, the Germans recovered from a first-set loss to win 20-25, 25-18, 25-21, 25-23.

In amazing scenes at the Hokkaido Prefectural Sports Center, the dynamic Germans brilliantly neutralised China's main strengths with their own attacking game to take their record to 4-1 after the completion of Pool B matches.

Their only defeat was against Russia.

China, among the favourites to leave Sapporo with a 5-0 record, dropped to 3-2 following their loss to Russia on Saturday.

Two defeats could be costly for China as the teams head for the second round because results from Sapporo will be carried over to Osaka.

The match itself was a close affair. Yang Hao seemed to be China's main points winner early on as her usual attacking partner, Wang Yimei, was unable to find her range.

Cornelia Dumler and captain Angelina Grun led the way for Germany, who went into the first technical time-out with an 8-7 lead.

Kathleen Weiss was influential as a setter for Germany, pulling the China defence left and right.

Weiss combined twice with Christiane Furst to open up the Chinese defence but China's own master tactician, captain Feng Kun, had a few tricks herself to help her team recover from 12-19 down to take a 16-15 lead.

Corina Ssuschke, given some rare playing time, troubled the Chinese defensive line but Wang, taking over the attacking role from Yang, gave China a two-point cushion at 19-17.

Birgit Thumm was particularly effective from the right when the Germans took that option.

China made sure her chances were limited as Yang hit the spike that won the set for her team.

The second set followed a similar early pattern as the first with Germany again going into the first time out with an 8-7 lead on Grun's spike.

German were on the up and won four points on Ssuschke's serve to go 13-8 ahead. Germany led 16-13 but knew China were within striking distance.

Youngster Margareta Kozuch put Germany 19-15 in front with her first touch after coming on and the belief in the German team was apparent.

Everything Kozuch touched turned to gold with three spikes and three points as Germany went 21-17 up.

China managed just one more point before Germany wrapped up the set with a clever tip.

For the third straight set, it was 8-7 at the first time-out, but this time it was China who held the advantage.

China then surged to a 15-12 lead but Germany won the next four points to lead 16-15 on Dumler's spike down the line.

It was Kozuch again who was influential for Germany during the latter part of the set, securing a 2-1 for her team by effectively blocking Yang's attempted spike.

Germany showed signs of tiredness at the start of the fourth set but with Grun refusing to let her troops slack off, they were able to take an 8-6 lead into the first time out.

Wang was China's most effective player at this stage and her spikes and serves allowed them to level it at 10-10.

But the Germans were inspired as Dumler, Grun and Ssuschke took them to a 16-13 lead.

However, a couple of errors allowed China to retake the lead at 19-18.

Grun's delicate tip-over took the Germans to set point and the captain sent the German camp into delerium with the winning spike.