Team China ace leveling up en route to very top

Failure to reach the semifinals of the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship earlier this month was considered something of a disappointment for Team China. Core player Li Yingying, however, is taking the positives from the setback and rates the campaign as a valuable lesson in her bid to become a world-class performer on the court.

"Looking back on the entire world championship journey, there were highlights as well as problems. For me, there are many takeaways. I'm now more confident on the court and I'm closing the gap to the world's top players. The distance was not that big," Li told Xinhua.

"I believe I can play even better the next time. Becoming a true world-class player is my next goal. I will for sure keep working hard and keep fighting."

Without superstar Zhu Ting and veteran outside hitter Zhang Changning due to injuries, a younger generation, spearheaded by Li, stepped up to shoulder more responsibilities at the worlds.

Despite their valiant efforts, Team China lost 3-1 to world No 2 Italy in the quarterfinals, with Serbia retaining the title following a 3-0 triumph over Brazil in the final last weekend. The Chinese squad eventually ranked sixth.

China was also defeated (3-0) by Italy in the group stage. The Italians then lost out to Brazil in the last four, underlining the gap between China's young squad and the world's top teams. The last time Team China won the championship was 36 years ago in 1986.

With her standards set high, Li offered a blunt assessment of her quarterfinal performance against Italy, describing it as "horrible".

"Before the tournament, I watched many match videos of Italy and other top teams. I was so desperate to beat them, but I think that resulted in me being extremely nervous on the court," said Li.

"And then being so nervous, I wasn't able to relax and play my game properly. I was too hesitant. So this was an individual problem — I struggled to compose myself and think clearly during the match. I was too focused on the opponents and forgot how to play my own game."

Despite those quarterfinal regrets, there was no denying Li's important contribution to Team China at the worlds. The 22-year-old scored 179 points in total to finish as her team's top scorer and rank sixth in the tournament's scoring chart.

"I just felt like I was the one who was attracting extra attention from our rivals. So I always need to be prepared to study our opponents, and to discover the weak spot of their defense. Finding solutions has always been a focus," explained Li.

"When I was younger, I played as a substitute at major championships. The rivals knew so little about me, so I could always surprise them. But now I'm a core player, and I feel the pressure that every opponent is focusing on me and studying me. So that presents different challenges."

Despite missing out on the podium, head coach Cai Bin saw enough from his young charges to recognize that they are moving in the right direction.

Mistakes against the world's elite outfits were inevitable, reckoned Cai, who commended his youngsters for displaying their skills and potential.

"This young Team China fulfilled the requirements of the coaching team at the world championship. We prepared thoroughly for all the teams we faced at the worlds, and showed our skills and momentum," said Cai.

"The overall performance of Team China at the worlds was just average. Of course, we need to improve, but the most important takeaway from the championship was that we learned how to progress step by step and we know better how to cope with different teams with different styles."

It seems likely that further improvements will take time for this young squad. After the team's disappointing group-stage elimination from the Tokyo Olympics and the retirement of legendary coach Lang Ping and a number of veteran stars, the new national squad under coach Cai has been focusing on developing the younger generation of players and regaining confidence.

Prior to the worlds, Team China finished sixth at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in July, with the Chinese squad now at No 5 in the world rankings.

"We will conduct a thorough review of our performances at the world championship, and we are aiming for comprehensive improvements in the players' skills," Cai added. "We will work hard to make both our attack and defense reach the next level."