Due to the reform of the Chinese Women's Volleyball League system, this year's schedule has been significantly extended, and the competition for the top four spots is more intense than ever before. Only the top two teams from Groups C and D can secure their entry into the semi-finals, which poses a significant challenge for weaker teams. Especially for teams like Shenzhen, currently at the bottom of Group C, and Beijing, at the bottom of Group D, both have yet to win a game, making it extremely difficult for them to advance to the semi-finals. It's important to note that the playoffs only consist of six rounds, with home and away matches, leaving little time for adjustments. Therefore, the playoffs primarily test the depth of the team's lineup and their on-court performance; only truly capable teams can meet in the semi-finals.
Among these teams, Tianjin Women's Volleyball, as the defending champions, are a prime example. They have readjusted themselves and gradually regained the style of a top-tier team. At the beginning of this season, Tianjin started strong but then struggled, hovering near the relegation zone. However, after changing their head coach and welcoming back veteran player Yao Di, Tianjin began to climb out of their slump and went on a winning streak. Moreover, during the playoffs, Tianjin brought in a Japanese libero, achieving a flawless lineup. Strictly speaking, the key reason for Tianjin's return to the peak is Yao Di's comeback, as the assistance she provides to the team is unparalleled by other players.
During Yao Di's absence, Meng Dou was the main setter for the team, delivering only average results. However, after Yao Di's return, the team was rejuvenated. Core players like Li Yingying, as well as Chen Boya, Wang Yizhu, and others, all achieved their best offensive performances under Yao Di's support. This is why Yao Di managed to ascend to the top of the setter rankings, with her setter index reaching 12.65 points, ranking first among setters. According to the latest setter rankings released by the Volleyball Association, Yao Di climbed to the top for the first time, demonstrating efficient and stable passing output in all seven games she played, indicating that she is still at the peak of her career. It would indeed be a pity if she were to retire this year. However, all good things must come to an end, and Yao Di will eventually leave the volleyball stage. Now that she has planned her future path after retirement, we can only wish her a smooth and successful career ahead.
Moving on to Ding Xia, who ranks second on the list, there was recently a close call where she almost clashed with Yang Han Yu during a match against Shandong, causing significant controversy. Despite this, Ding Xia ultimately helped her team secure victory and improved her ranking to second place. Ding Xia remains as sharp as ever, with a setter index of 11.56, not falling short of Yao Di in any way. On the contrary, Meng Dou, Yao Di's replacement, has once again fallen out of the top ten, currently ranking 11th, which is a considerable setback. It's worth noting that Meng Dou was ranked second in the previous list, but this time she dropped significantly, and she should indeed adjust her state.
As for the other rankings on the setter list, they have also undergone significant changes. Zhang Zihan from Henan Women's Volleyball climbed to third place, while Xu Xiaoting remained unchanged at fourth. The rankings of Liang Guiqian, Jie Shengyu, Zou Jiaqi, Song Jiayi, Wang Chen, and He Jie also changed, with these players ranking fifth to tenth respectively. Seeing such fierce competition on the Chinese Women's Volleyball setter list is actually a good thing, and we hope that the setter list will produce more outstanding talents, bringing unexpected surprises!