China NT 2021

    Agree with everyone there... Maybe in the 2024 cycle.

    Quote from bumpsetspike

    Xue Yizhi: Athleticism is her biggest advantage against other Chinese middle blockers, she's quick and can jump well. If the coaches teach her how to read opponents and put up a strong block she could be really good for the NT.

    is she one of Opposite in Beijing team? So she was a MB. That's quite explained a lot about how i always thought she has a little bit weird spiking technique from zone 2 & 4.

    Quote from sandianando

    is she one of Opposite in Beijing team? So she was a MB. That's quite explained a lot about how i always thought she has a little bit weird spiking technique from zone 2 & 4.

    She (#8, 191cm) has played as their opposite on a couple occasions when they needed, but their main opp is Ren Kaiyi (#1, 183cm).


    I think she's better suited as a middle blocker than opposite, it seems like a more natural position for her.

    Quote from sandianando

    is she one of Opposite in Beijing team? So she was a MB. That's quite explained a lot about how i always thought she has a little bit weird spiking technique from zone 2 & 4.

    I think she may have played some time as opposite in the NCAA where she played 4 years of volleyball.


    She will never be allowed to play as opposite for Chinese NT unless if she can receive though (which I don't think she can rn).

    Quote from zhutingfan

    I think she may have played some time as opposite in the NCAA where she played 4 years of volleyball.


    She will never be allowed to play as opposite for Chinese NT unless if she can receive though (which I don't think she can rn).

    wait... she got converted to a pin hitter?? that's strange. I only remember her in the middle

    Let's play the guessing game out of these 17 names for the final 12-roster:


    OH: Zhu, Zhang, Li, Liu YH

    MB: Yan, Yuan, Wang/Yang?

    OP: Gong & Li

    S: Ding & Yao/Diao?

    L: Wang


    *Bolded & italicized has higher chance to get selected


    Li Yao will take Gong Xiangyu's speedy route to OG, and with her entering as OP, also reduces the competition for Liu Yanhan as the 4th OH. Hahaha, playing as OP offers some rarity of profession; while there are many supplies for OH, competition is much keener :-)

    Wang Yizhu is for Paris cycle, also Ni Feifan.

    Gao Yi is still not good enough for this cycle, needs to improve blocking capability, reserved for Paris cycle.

    Sorry for Diao Lin-yu, looks like (still) no OG for her.

    For those who can't compete nicely in the domestic competition, just forgo the major int'l events.... life is pretty real, only the best can be selected! And I am quite happy for such wisdom!


    Chen Boya; Chen Peiyan; Xue Yizhi, Che Wenhan, also the cute Miao Yiwen from the Sichuan team :P... let's look forward to seeing these names being called into NT training camp after this cycle. Stocks of supply remain many :-)





    Miao Yiwen 缪伊雯 of the Sichuan Women's Volleyball Team, born in 2000, 187cm, wing spiker


    These four young players may be shortlisted in the World League, laying the foundation for the new cycle 2021-04-16

    https://inf.news/en/sport/59e1…d86fc9351b675d7642f3.html


    Some said that the Olympic test match will adhere strictly to OG rules so only 12 players will go. The current sprint training will last for 8 days, then the team will be getting ready to leave for Tokyo. Within the next few days we gonna see who are the selected twelve for the test match. This single test match is a small-scale trial; the much bigger one is the VNL, after this roster will be finalized.


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Edited once, last by samsara ().

    Historically, it does look like the newcomer Li Yao will have a chance to go based on Gong Xiangyu 5 years ago. Fun fact: Li Yao is two years older than Gong Xiangyu...


    However, Zhang Changning and Liu Yanhan can both play opposites. With Yan Ni's age, it's not inconceivable that all 4 middles will go to Tokyo and Gong is the only opposite. I don't really think that either Li Yao's attacking or defending is stronger than Liu Yanhan's.


    I hope to see the new faces in VNL 2020. Wang Yizhu, Ni Feifan, Diao Linyu, Mei Xiaohan, Xue Yizhi, Gao Yi, etc. Paris will be a short cycle with only 3 years. OK, maybe against USA or ITA's A team it will be necessary to play the starters to test training results, but for teams not in the olympics or facing SRB's B/C/D/E/? team give the youngsters a chance. This cycle we already started late with a combination of peoples' insistence on playing starters at VNL/WGP and keep trying players that just weren't gonna cut it (with all due respect: Li Jing, Qian Jingwen, etc)


    For Rio, Zhu debuted in 2013 at 18 years old, Yuan in 2014 at 17 years old, Zhang also in 2014 at 18 years old. Lin Li was a bit older, 20, in 2013 and Gong was 18/19 when she started in 2016 WGP. This cycle's new people are really only Li Yingying, Ni Feifan, and Wang Yuanyuan (nb: which were developed largely by their provincial teams, not the national team) and they did not get enough international experience compared to the players of last cycle. Perhaps it's the burden of being on an Olympic gold medal team and there's pressure to deliver results even for VNL prelims.


    Anyways, I sound critical but really I just want to see more opportunities for young players.

    My biggest concern with both Liu Yanhan and Li Yao is that neither is really known for their reception or defense. They're more of an attacking opp/oh which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but China already has Zhu, Zhang, and Li. Both Liu Yanhan and Li Yao will be targets for opponents and the big question will be if they can remain stable during crucial moments? Another thing with Li Yao is that she hasn't even been tested yet. It's too early to say that the second opposite spot is hers. Her performance at VNL will either make or break her.


    Yao Di will be the second setter. She can be inconsistent and shaky at times, but she is the next best setter after Ding Xia. I love the fight Diao Linyu put this season and how she managed Jiangsu before her injury in the finals. Hopefully she keeps it up for the next cycle.


    Wang Yuanyuan is the clear front runner between her and Yang. Although Yan Ni and Yuan Xinyue will be the starting middle duo, Wang still needs to be prepared and ready if either gets injured or needs some rest.


    If Li Yao doesn't do well during VNL China should just take one opposite in Gong and bring 4 middles Yan Ni, Yuan, Wang, and Zheng. Zheng could be a wild card because she can play as opp and also receive.

    Quote from zhutingfan

    Anyways, I sound critical but really I just want to see more opportunities for young players.

    I agree. This postponement really puts youth/upcoming players behind as far as development. They don't have the opportunity to get a chance to gain more experience. Even in next years VNL (2022) we might not see that much new faces because the World Championship is also happening so national teams might be focused on their current veteran players (some of which should be cut by then, but won't be).

    Well, there aren't better defensive OPP/OHs than Zhu, Zhang, or Li in China either (like, are you really going to bring the 36 year old Zhang Lei?), so it looks like the only thing a sub can do is to change the attacking tempo. Li Yao will definitely play some matches, hopefully against teams sending their best players like USA/BRA/TUR. Otherwise this roster selection makes no sense.


    Yao Di has a great head for setting, but I'm not a fan of her technique. Too low for a team with 190+ hitters.


    Really like Zheng's style of play, but I don't think she would go. The serve level in CVL (where she receives and hits the occasional back row attack) is not the same as international competitions. Also her arms are kinda short, I'd guess a few opposites would just go right over her.

    Quote from bumpsetspike

    Even in next years VNL (2022) we might not see that much new faces because the World Championship is also happening so national teams might be focused on their current veteran players (some of which should be cut by then, but won't be).

    Yan Ni would retire for sure by then -- reportedly during the CVL bubble earlier last year she was playing every second match because of intensity issues. This is not a concern in the Olympics because it's a match every 2 days. But for WCh it's a very intense competition with matches in consecutive days. Like most other Chinese athletes, she will most likely retire after the national games are finished. Wang Yuanyuan will really need to step it up then. Ding Xia might make it until 2024, who knows. My expectations post-olympics won't be that high anyways. I just hope they won't get dragged through the mud again if they have a "bad result" like what happened in 2018.

    Quote from samsara

    One more clip:


    BAIC vs Shandong -- Xue Yizhi 薛翼枝 personal best collection

    https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1ri4y1L7L4/

    A lot of fans, doesn't she?


    https://lbpost.com/sports/long-beach-state-volleyball-china


    "Xue will graduate after next season with her degree in international business, and will have a wide open future in front of her. That could feature splitting time between America and China, it could feature a professional contract in Europe, or returning to her home country to play and train full time as a professional and future Olympian. Right now, she’s happy to be a part of Long Beach’s community as both a student and an athlete."


    I think she definitely brings something different to the table compared to the other MBs. Maybe the coaches will give her a chance although I haven't seen her called up for NT training yet.

    yeah nice read... but this article was posted in September 2018, meaning Xue already graduated... so what she did in the last couple of years?


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    On the afternoon of April 14, Chinese women's volleyball team, players and coaching team including head coach Lang Ping arrived at the National Ningbo Beilun Sports Training Base in batches, the team would have a quick training before the test match in Tokyo.


    Lang Ping: “It's an especially beautiful Sports Hotel. It's very comfortable and bright. I think it's more fun for athletes to stay in this enclosure.”




    Arrived at the newly renovated sports hotel, Lang Ping was impressed by the comfort of the environment, attracted by the excellent accommodation facilities and attentive service, and she has full of praises.




    The team return to Beilun again after one and a half years when completed the Tokyo Olympic qualifying competition in Beilun in August 2019. Lang Ping is also full of expectations for this training. "It's the third phase of our closed training for the Olympic Games, so I'm very happy to be back in Beilun again."




    Lang Ping said that the training in Beilun is the last quick stage before the Olympic Games for the team, and they will use eight days to do a quick recovery and cooperation before going to Japan to participate in the Olympic test matches and compete with the Japanese team at the Olympic venues.


    In order to ensure the training, Beilun has done a lot of preparatory work.

    • Training facilities and equipment are in place, and all kinds of training equipment are prepared in an orderly manner;
    • With the renovation of the sports hotel, its facilities, layout, function and reception capacity have been improved more reasonably, which is more in line with the accommodation requirements of the Chinese women's volleyball team;
    • In terms of personnel service guarantee, special personnel are assigned to be responsible for training, accommodation, catering and other matters, so as to ensure that the Chinese women's volleyball team can train at ease, live a comfortable life and gain the best training results during the training period in Beilun.


    It is understood that after the test match in Japan, the team will return to Beilun for closed training, and then go to Italy to participate in the VNL. By competing with the top 16 teams in the world, the team will have a big on-match training before the Tokyo Olympic Games.



    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    With regards to selection of the Olympic squad, my feeling is that 7 players are more or less confirmed barring unforeseen circumstances such as last minute injuries.


    (OH & OP) Zhu Ting, Li YY, Zhang CN and Gong XY

    (MB) Yuan XY, Yan Ni

    (S) Ding Xia

    (L) Wang MJ


    2 more spots will likely go to Wang YY (MB) and Yao Di (S)


    And the remaining 3 spots could go to Liu YH (OH), Wang YJ (OH)

    Nee FF (L)


    I further believe that the selectors should also look at the following players with potential to replace some of the above, where appropriate. Perhaps they should be given a chance to play in the VNL to test their form.


    (OH & OP) Li Yao and Chen Peiyan (Guangdong), Qian Jingwen and Du Qing Qing (Shandong) Chen Boya (Tianjin)

    - In recent matches, Chen seems to have overshadowed Li as the main attacker, in the Guangdong team. Qian and Du form the bedrock of the Shandong attack which has done well in recent tournaments. Du used to have this awkward hitting style, often compounded by wrong timing. I think she has improved and even can hit harder now compared to the 70+ kmh before. Chen Boya is like an uncut diamond. No updated stats are available, but I believe she has a striking reach of around 320cm (estimated visually) and this is a big asset. And by the way, the only reason I’ve included Liu YH in the list of possibilities above, is that she used to be quite a strong spiker. We all haven’t seen her for more than a year. Hopefully, that’s still the case.


    (MB) Guo Huizhen (Shandong) ...I’m hearing gasps of disbelief here, surprises and even shocks. But let’s go back to the CVL round of 6 when highly rated Jiangsu faced Guangdong with Guo on loan from Shandong. Attacks by their imports Kelsey and Raba and solid blocking by Guo dismantled the Jiangsu team, which was left shell shocked and their coach, befuddled. Of similar size and height to Yan Ni, she also is quite flexible, have a good reach and can hit quite hard, unlike some tall MBs such as Wang Yuanyuan, Gaoyi and Yang Hanyu, who more often then not, go tap tap tap.


    Of course any comparison with Yan Ni has to be limited to size and potentials, for now because, Yan has the experience, quick reflexes and that uncanny intuition to predict where the opposition will strike. It is for this reason and the fact that Yan Ni always seem so enthusiastic, giving encouragements and calming down the team when stressed, that ensures her a spot in the team eventhough she’s carrying some injuries.


    (Setters)

    Mei Xiaohan (Shandong). The reason why Mei is here is because I have doubts about Yaodi. Yes, she looks good most of the time, but could this be because her attackers Li Yingying and Zhu Ting are skillful enough to make allowances and adjustments to still make a good hit from a poor set ?


    And what about Diao Linyu....as unpredictable as the weather, I’m afraid. Too risky to be included in the team.



    But good luck to the Olympic squad, as individuals, they may have flaws or shortcomings, but as a team, they are hard to beat :win:

    The floor of the bedroom looks unfinished and the ceiling looks kinda low...especially for Yuan, who with 2 inch heels and hair tied into a bun might reach 7 feet ! The King size beds should be comfortable for everyone, eventhough Yuan’s toes might still be sticking out :)

    With the inclusion of Li Yingying, it should be Eight (the "7 Fairies" + Li), so four more places, and my very guess: Yao Di, Liu Yanhan/Li Yao/Wang Yizhu (2 out of 3), Wang Yuanyuan/Yang Hanyu. I really don't believe that Lang will ever bring two liberos in the limited 12 spots! But thing will be clearer after the VNL, wanna see the actual performance of these additional names (beyond the eight spots who are pretty locked), whom Lang Ping will field in the VNL try-out.


    Qian Jingwen and Du Qingqing may be good in the domestic competition, or against the fellow Asian teams. But against the tall top teams in the world, I just don't see their values. And both of them were already called into the NT training, played in the Switzerland tournament and/or VNL in the past.


    From now on the opportunity should be given to the potential youngster with eyes on Paris cycle and further. Wang Yizhu, Chen Peiyan, Chen Boya, Xue Yizhi, Che Wenhan, Gao Yi, Guo Huizhen (188cm) and perhaps the cute Miao Yiwen (187cm) from the Sichuan team and so forth... in general the generation of 2000 and younger. And I prefer attackers & blockers with 190++ with good athleticism to compete with the Caucasian teams (the tall White & Black people)... you just can't teach "tall" as the British knowledgeable FIVB commentator who understands the technical aspects of volleyball not just being talkative with empty commentary (forget his name) said often :-) players like Qian and Du have no good prospects in the world's top competition... playing in Asia for non-major events (but not in the Asian Games, Asian Championship) is still okay.


    “There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen.”

    Edited once, last by samsara ().