The Volleyball Association officially announced the list of 12 players for the Chinese women's volleyball team to participate in the finals, and the two positions of the Olympic substitute will meet the test

"Preparing for Paris, the Chinese Women's Volleyball Team Appeared in the World League Finals as a "Substitute"

As a strong force in the world volleyball world, the Chinese women's volleyball team has always been the object of attention. To this day, even in the context of "blood exchange", people still have high hopes for this team that has won three consecutive Olympic championships.

In the 2024 World Volleyball League Finals, the Chinese women's volleyball team sent a lineup dominated by substitute players. As soon as this news was officially announced, it immediately attracted widespread attention. People can't help but ask: Why did the Chinese women's volleyball team choose to participate in this important event as a substitute? And who are the players who are expected to stand out in this competition and earn their place at the high-profile Paris Olympics?

Facing the challenge, the Chinese women's volleyball team came off the bench to participate in the World League finals

Compared with the previous world champion lineup, only Zhang Changning and Ding Xia, two Olympic champions, were selected in the 12-member list of the Chinese women's volleyball team to compete in the World League finals. Most of the remaining 10 players are rookies who have made their mark in the national team in recent years. This kind of "blood exchange" adjustment undoubtedly makes people speculate that the heritage and strength of the Chinese women's volleyball team may have changed.

However, when the Chinese Volleyball Association announced the list, it said that the substitute lineup for this competition was to test the performance of these newcomers in the competition. In fact, in the upcoming Paris Olympics, the Chinese women's volleyball team is also facing the "test" of two positions: setter and reception. The World League Finals undoubtedly provided a rare opportunity for these inexperienced rookies to "test the waters", allowing the coaching staff to better understand their form and potential and prepare for the Olympic Games.

It can be said that this arrangement not only reflects the concept that the Chinese women's volleyball team has always attached importance to cultivating newcomers, but also reflects the team's confidence and determination in the future development prospects. After years of high-intensity training and competition baptism, the reserve strength of the Chinese women's volleyball team has already accumulated to a certain extent. This time the substitute players in the World League Finals are undoubtedly testing the competitive level of these successors and making full preparations for the finalization of the Olympic roster.

Rookie debut: Zhang Changning and Wang Yizhu may become the core of the bench

Judging from the list of 12 players announced, most of the substitute lineups sent by the Chinese women's volleyball team this time are the new generation of players who have emerged in the national team in recent years. Among them, the main attacker Zhang Changning and the setter Ding Xia are undoubtedly the two most eye-catching "trump cards".

As the gold medalist of the last Olympic Games, Zhang Changning played in the World League finals as a substitute this time, which is undoubtedly quite surprising. However, judging from the overall layout of the Chinese women's volleyball team, the main attacker's opportunity to play is not unexpected. In fact, in the previous World Cup and World Championships, Zhang Changning has become a key scorer of the national team with his outstanding performance.

Participating in the World League finals this time, Zhang Changning will have the opportunity to fight side by side with rookies such as Wang Yizhu, Zhuang Yushan, and Zhong Hui. In the process, she will not only be able to play a leading role, but also provide valuable experience to her younger teammates. If he can perform well in this competition, Zhang Changning is likely to become a "rising star" on the main offensive line of the Olympic Games.

Another player who has attracted much attention is Ding Xia. As one of the "generals" of the Chinese women's volleyball team, Ding Xia also appeared in the World League finals as a substitute this time. However, compared with Zhang Changning, Ding Xia's situation may be more subtle.

With Diao Linyu's position firmly secure, Ding Xia and another rookie Xu Xiaoting will have a fierce PK. Judging from her previous performance, Ding Xia has a slight advantage in terms of playing time, but the effect is not ideal. Although Xu Xiaoting has fewer opportunities to play, she is also worth paying attention to with her excellent ball control ability and stable performance.

This World League finals will undoubtedly become a key moment for Ding Xia and Xu Xiaoting to show their strength. Whoever can stand out in this competition is likely to serve as the setter of the Chinese women's volleyball team in the upcoming Olympic Games.

However, in addition to the two familiar faces of Zhang Changning and Ding Xia, the performance of other players in the list is also worth looking forward to. Wang Yizhu, Zhuang Yushan, Zhong Hui and other main attackers, as well as Gao Yi, Yang Hanyu and other secondary attackers, are expected to become candidates for the main lineup of the future Olympic Games with their outstanding performance in this game.

Answering and fighting for the position of the free man

In addition to the competition between the main attack and the setter position, the selection of the "heir" of the Chinese women's volleyball team in the two positions of receiver and free man is also interesting.

In the receiving position, Zheng Yixin is undoubtedly a key player in the bench lineup. Since the last Olympic cycle, the Chinese women's volleyball team has been looking for a suitable successor to Gong Xiangyu, and Zheng Yixin will undoubtedly be tested in the World League finals.

Although in the previous game, Zheng Yixin was only able to replace him for a short time, and it was difficult to show his true strength. However, the World League Finals will provide her with a great opportunity to shine. If Zheng Yixin can perform well in the two key aspects of attack and passing, she has a good chance of becoming the main player on the receiving line of the Olympic Games.

Of course, in this position, Zhang Changning, Wang Yizhu and Wang Yunlu are also seen as possible candidates. If Zheng Yixin fails to show his ideal form in this game, these three main attackers may also be used to temporarily replace the receiving position. Whoever can stand out in this competition is expected to serve as the main force of the Chinese women's volleyball team in the Olympic Games.

As for the free agent position, only Ni Feifei was selected in the lineup this time. As a frequent visitor to the previous Chinese women's volleyball team, Ni Feifei is undoubtedly the backbone of the substitute lineup. However, after overcoming her previous injury problems, it will be interesting to see if she can perform at the level she deserves in this important event

The Chinese women's volleyball team's setter and the "test the water" battle for the receiving position

In addition to the exploration of the main attack and the free man position, the World League finals, the battle for the two core positions of the Chinese women's volleyball team's setter and receiver has also attracted much attention.

For the setter position, Ding Xia and Xu Xiaoting will undoubtedly become the protagonists of this competition.

As a senior setter of the Chinese women's volleyball team, Ding Xia has always been the main force of this team with her outstanding performance in the national team over the years. However, in recent performances, Ding Xia's form has not fully reached the ideal level, which also led to her being dropped from the previous Hong Kong competition.

In contrast, although Xu Xiaoting had fewer opportunities to play in previous games, she also attracted the attention of the coaching staff with her excellent ball control ability and stable performance. In the World League finals, Ding Xia and Xu Xiaoting will directly confront, and whoever can stand out in this competition is likely to serve as the setter of the Chinese women's volleyball team in the Olympic Games.

This is undoubtedly a rare opportunity to "test the waters", not only testing the technical level of the two players, but also testing their resilience in the face of pressure. Regardless of the outcome, such a contest will provide a valuable reference for the coaching staff to select the final Olympic roster.

In the receiving position, Zheng Yixin will undoubtedly become the "star" of the World League finals.

Since the last Olympic cycle, the Chinese women's volleyball team has been looking for a suitable replacement for Gong Xiangyu. This time, Zheng Yixin finally ushered in the opportunity to show his skills in the competition. Previously, Zheng Yixin could only play as a substitute for a short time in the national team, and it was difficult to show her true strength. But in this World League Finals, she will have the opportunity to play all the way and be tested by the coaching staff.

If Zheng Yixin can perform well in key links such as offense and passing, she is likely to become the main attacker of the Chinese women's volleyball Olympic line. However, in this position, Zhang Changning, Wang Yizhu and Wang Yunlu are also seen as possible candidates. If Zheng Yixin fails to perform well in this competition, these three main attackers may also be temporarily adjusted to the receiving position for a comprehensive evaluation.

For the Chinese women's volleyball team, the World League finals are undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The coaching staff can not only use this game to fully understand the strength of the rookies in the two key positions, setter and receiver, and provide a reference for the final finalization of the Olympic roster, but also test the overall strength of this substitute lineup, and fully prepare for future international competitions.

Although the Chinese women's volleyball team participated in the World League finals as a "substitute" this time, the overall strength and future development prospects of this team are still full of expectations. Through this competition, I believe that the new generation of players will shine in the international arena and write a new glorious chapter for the Chinese women's volleyball team.