Chinese NT 2018

Quote from sitenoise

Lucky are the teams who get China in the first round.

Wait

It comes out that such perceived luck is vaporware indeed... just ask those DOM BEL and KOR too, they certainly will tell us it's just a fake news

Quote from bumpsetspike

I also have high hopes for Li Yingying at VNL. With Lang Ping as coach, I expect Li to surprise other teams. Yang Han-yu could be another breakout, hope she is training well.

INDEED. Li Yingying has brilliant appearances in her first two matches! Needless to say she has great potential to become a star in the CNT... I'll say she's actually a star in making/waiting indeed. I won't be quite surprise if she makes it to the Tokyo2020. And Zhang CN with her said kidney issue as per Tomen's info may experience great challenge to retain her core spot. I hope Zhang will fully recover as shown by Yang FX's impressive appearance in the first two matches (instead of going to the path of Hu RQ), having some extra more talents are ever greatly welcomed for the CNT.

Folks may see from this 43-min footage of the CCTV Sport interviewing Lang Ping (CN only, no Engsub) that the CNT coaching team already identified the great potential power of the starlet, Li YY -- fast forward to 08:38

Well, it's self-apparent that the steady influx of those high-calibre new blood ensures a very bright future for the China's National Team for long long time to come!

Somehow the Chinese women's volleyball may be going into the same path as their nearly impeccable table tennis teams to attain the very high-level position in sustainable fashion as shown all this long! Therefore it will remain to be a mighty team to much of the ENVY as well as ADMIRATION by many

just notice on how mean are those diligent posters at this board in judging the CNT in relative to other strong teams... HAHA

So far Li Yingying won't have problem making the WCH. It's only a matter of what role will she have. Hope she keeps up. We will find out how well she does against top teams soon enough. Lang Ping said this is her training camp so she better fully utilize this opportunity.

To some here who strongly censured Gong XY as declining, even downgraded her as no longer fits CNT, the first two matches show her remains capable in the NT environment, regardless how she might have performed in the club level! That alone may explain the reasons why CNT coaching team keep on calling her (cf. Wang YL and several other failed trials). Wang YY is showing a more mature level compared to the last time I watched her play, in the last WGP, a year ago. Not able to comment on Gao Yi's one due to her pretty short appearance so far, but it seems at least she gains better playing experience one year later from the 2017 WGP.

Another debutant, Hu Mingyuan, in her limited appearance, indicated one of her forte, reliable and precision serves. Need to watch her playing more to learn about her capabilities. The same case I am not able to comment on the flash appearance of the other debutant, Zhang Yichan. While the debutant libero, Meng Zixuan, at 180m (not 189m), showed her agility in her also flash appearance regardless her high. If she is eventually called into the CNT, no doubt that she'll be the most attractive libero in the CNT to my knowledge but both Lin Li and Wang WJ are very good, won't be easy for her to get a firm spot.

Those who regularly watch the Chinese League surely know more about the debutants, and can add more info. Overall I don't watch club level matches.

Of course I noted the quick reminders by some that it's too early to judge the debutant as well as the Chinese team's performance in just two matches, moreover the week-1 opponents are relatively soft. Some even reminded that the true litmus test will be an encounter with the Rio Silver Medallist, the Serbian team, which I agree with as the strongest opponent to the Chinese team at present. Also the other top contenders, BRA USA NED RUS and perhaps TUR GER (so far ITA shows disappointed outcomes compared to last year) will give better validation on how good the debutants (if fielded) and the team are. Well, just take this as a dynamic, rolling-over valuation...
btw I can watch live the Chinese-hosted leg by installing zhangyutv app at smartphone and tablet simply a straightforward biz, strangely it's lagging too much makes it unwatchable from comp.

Good lesson to be learned. Zhu's debut had the worst result but went on to become champions.

Quote from tomen

Zhu's debut was 2013 WGP.
Except for the last match against Brazil, it was so perfect.

If you think it was 2013 Montreux, please see the match against Germany and after the match, Guidetti said, "I would like to invite her to join Vakifbank." Three years later, the dream came true.

4th place Asian Championships. Not talking just 1st tournament, 1st year my mistake.

No need to bring back veterans just to win some games during group stage. This is a perfect opportunity to see who will rise to the occasion. The loss to Korea was a great way to see how these young players will bounce back because their greatest weakest was exposed during that game.

Quote from tomen

OH: Liu Xiao-tong > Li Ying-ying

Interesting.

I want Yan Ni (MB) back. Love her to death. And Zhang Chang-ning. I have a sad feeling she might not have a long volleyball career. Big people don't last as long.

Serbia will be the biggest challenge next week, but it also depends on what roster Serbia brings and plays with.

For Week 2, China I think should bring:

OH: Keep Liu Xiaotong, Li Yingying, and Liu Yanhan, but replace Zhang Yichan with Duan Fang.
OP: Give Yang Fangxu a rest and put Zeng Chunlei, depending on how Yang's leg is feeling after these past matches.
S: Same as Week 1
MB: I don't think Yan Ni should be needed this week, that way Lang Ping can see who out of the this three, (Wang Yuanyuan, Hu Mingyuan, and Gao Yi) will step up and perform well.
L: Rest Lin Li and bring back Wang Mengjie that way Meng Zixuan can gain more experience.

Let the newbies play their hearts out. Result is secondary but will try to win every game. Main goal is training young players to get them ready for the big tournaments.

Yao Di is still not ready for prime time. Still having trouble with connecting MBs. Setter is China's weakest link because no good backups. Diao is playing a garbage tournament so we won't see her in a while.

Li Yingying had 2 good and 1 bad game. Needs to work on reception. I think she will overcome this.

Gong should reconsider playing setter again if she continues this level. I think it is more mental than skills.

Lin Li is legit. Too bad she is playing on a terrible team which makes her look ordinary in league volleyball. Meng will need a lot of playing time because she looked too nervous out there.

Young MBs need more playing time. Still not mentally stable. Too bad Xu Yunli had another terrible injury or she could still help China.

Quote from jetmasters

Let the newbies play their hearts out. Result is secondary but will try to win every game. Main goal is training young players to get them ready for the big tournaments.

Yao Di is still not ready for prime time. Still having trouble with connecting MBs. Setter is China's weakest link because no good backups. Diao is playing a garbage tournament so we won't see her in a while.

Li Yingying had 2 good and 1 bad game. Needs to work on reception. I think she will overcome this.

Gong should reconsider playing setter again if she continues this level. I think it is more mental than skills.

Lin Li is legit. Too bad she is playing on a terrible team which makes her look ordinary in league volleyball. Meng will need a lot of playing time because she looked too nervous out there.

Young MBs need more playing time. Still not mentally stable. Too bad Xu Yunli had another terrible injury or she could still help China.

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I was thinking that also. Gong would be good at the setter position not to mention the added height. Yao Di and Diao Linyu seems to not be cutting it. Hopefully a new potential setter will emerge next season if Gong remains in the opposite position.

Looks like Bayi members will skip this tournament pools to play in some military games. What a waste of time. Yang Junjing ended her career that way.

Lang Ping shut the door for Zeng Chunlei. I think she has high hope for Gong Xiangyu.

Quote from ryleybarnes

Lang Ping shut the door for Zeng Chunlei. I think she has high hope for Gong Xiangyu.

Zeng left the team for personal matter to attend to. She will be back. Gong will need to get her mojo back.

Are the Bayi players just missing the Macau week or the Hong Kong week as well?