National player Wang Yunrui (third from right in the back row) and the girls of the BAIC women's volleyball team celebrate the victory. Photo by Beijing News reporter Wang Fei
On the evening of January 2, the 1/4 finals of the 2023-2024 Chinese Volleyball Super League ended, and the BAIC women's volleyball team defeated the Liaoning women's volleyball team 3-0, eliminating the opponent with a total score of 2-1, following Tianjin, Jiangsu, and Shanghai, becoming the last team to advance to the top 4. Since winning the third place in the Volleyball Super League in the 2019-2020 season, this is the first time in 4 years that the BAIC women's volleyball team has advanced to the top 4.
From the retirement of old players, the team has entered the stage of alternating between the old and the new, to the replacement of the coaching staff, and the unsatisfactory performance for several consecutive seasons, the BAIC women's volleyball team has experienced many difficulties, and now it is back in the top 4.
Not easy
took the last train of the top 4, and coach Chu Hui had red eyes
Different from the other 3 groups in the 1/4 finals, the competition between BAIC and Liaoning is extremely fierce. In the past two games, both teams have played a tiebreaker, and the BAIC women's volleyball team was once on the verge of elimination. In last night's matchup, although the score was 3-0, the BAIC women's volleyball team did not play easily.
In the first game, the BAIC women's volleyball team once fell behind 20-22, and scored 5 points in a row before taking the lead. In the second game, the two teams fought to a 13-tie, and in Lazovic's service round, the more courageous BAIC women's volleyball team played a shock wave of 12 to 1 and won another game 25 to 14. In the last game, Zou Jiaqi, the main setter of the BAIC women's volleyball team, left the court with an injury, and the whole team withstood the pressure and won another game 25-21 and took the last train of the top 4.
"Very excited. It's been a tough couple of years, including the club's operations, the injuries of the veteran players, the growth of the younger players, and it's been hard in all aspects, and we've been able to move forward with a patchy squad. In an interview after the game, coach Chu Hui's eyes were red, and his inner excitement was overflowing.
BAIC women's volleyball team setter Zou Jiaqi fought until he was injured and left the field. Photo by Beijing News reporter Wang Fei
As a meritorious member of the BAIC men's volleyball team, Chu Hui became the coach of the BAIC women's volleyball team in October 2021. In the past two seasons, the team has been in a period of alternation between the old and the new, and the results are not particularly ideal, and the coaching staff led by Chu Hui is under a lot of pressure. It is very gratifying to see the growth and improvement of the team, especially the young players, this season.
For example, the 18-year-old assistant attacker Shan Linqian, after the first stage of training, she took on the team's blocking and defense responsibilities in the knockout stage, and she has greatly improved her technical skills and self-confidence and willpower. Shan Linqian revealed that the sisters and coaching staff in the team gave her too much encouragement, "Whether it is a mistake or a low mood on the field, everyone is telling me that it is okay to play well, which gives me a lot of confidence." ”
There is also the 19-year-old main setter Zou Jiaqi, who not only connects the team's offense well, but also her serving and blocking have also become an indispensable force for the BAIC women's volleyball team. Zou Jiaqi said that from the reversal by the Liaoning women's volleyball team in the first game to the difficult victory in the last two games, she and her teammates withstood the pressure, suppressed the opponent, and played their own level.
led the team back to the top 4, and coach Chu Hui's eyes were red. Photo by Beijing News reporter Wang Fei
defy
Young people play with confidence, and BAIC wants to wrestle with Shanghai
Purely considering the team lineup, game experience and records in recent seasons, compared with the other three top 4 teams of Tianjin, Jiangsu and Shanghai women's volleyball teams, BAIC women's volleyball team has no advantage. However, from the perspective of the growth of the young team, Hatsuki believes that this season is the moment for the team to blossom.
After training in recent seasons, the BAIC women's volleyball team has not only returned to the top 4 after 4 years, but the cohesion of the whole team has also been greatly improved, and the "little flowers" ushered in the first blooming moment.
"After so many games, the young players have grown tremendously in their self-confidence and on-the-spot experience, and the young libero, setter, and secondary attack have all withstood the pressure. From the players to the coaching staff, everyone is becoming more and more united, the trust between foreign aid and local players is getting higher and higher, and the cohesion of the whole team is getting better and better. Chu Hui said.
BAIC women's volleyball foreign aid Anna celebrates the score. Photo by Beijing News reporter Wang Fei
The semi-final opponent of the BAIC women's volleyball team is the Shanghai women's volleyball team, and the competition system is still best-of-three. According to the schedule, on January 6, the BAIC women's volleyball team will take the lead in the home game. In the first stage of the game, the Shanghai women's volleyball team won 13 wins and 1 loss, advanced to the knockout round with the first place in Group B, and then eliminated the Fujian women's volleyball team 2-0 in the 1/4 finals.
Looking forward to the semi-finals, Chu Hui said that the Shanghai women's volleyball team has more experience in the competition, but the BAIC women's volleyball team has just experienced 3 games with the Liaoning women's volleyball team, and the experience is not bad. ”
Beijing News reporter Xu Bangyin
Edited by Wang Chunqiu
Proofread by Diyan Chen