Translation of the article content into English:
Recently, Zhu Ting's starting position has become precarious, especially in the matches of Connelly.
You may still remember that Zhu Ting just won the World Cup championship with the Connelly women's volleyball team and was selected into the best lineup, looking very promising.
But after returning to the Italian league, there has been a change.
Especially with a new face, the situation has become more complicated.
The young American player Lanier performed exceptionally well, seemingly favored by the club.
This young player has outstanding attacking ability and huge potential, and the club is willing to invest more resources to cultivate her.
In contrast, although Zhu Ting is experienced and stable on defense, this season's injuries have affected her competitive state, especially her performance on the offensive end has significantly decreased.
Connelly's goal is clear - they not only want to win the Serie A championship but also aim for every major competition around the world.
This team invested heavily this season, early proving their ambition through the Club World Cup, and the following matches have all been successfully winning consecutive victories.
The competition between Zhu Ting and Lanier at the main attacker position has obviously become a hot topic for the team.
In the recent Serie A league, the change in the starting lineup of Connelly has made people's eyes shine.
The whole team is basically the main force of the World Cup, the only exception being Zhu Ting and Hake are not among them.
More surprisingly, Zhu Ting was replaced in the game, Lanier came off the bench, and performed very eye-catching in the following games.
This change has obviously triggered a lot of speculation, especially after Zhu Ting's poor performance in the first set, Lanier's strong performance allowed her to successfully occupy the main attacker position.
Some netizens also noticed that Zhu Ting's starting position has been challenged, especially when Lanier performed outstandingly in two consecutive games, helping the team reverse the victory with a score of 3:1, Lanier was directly elected as the best player of the game.
Some netizens commented: "To be honest, Zhu Ting's performance is indeed a bit unsatisfactory, especially after recovering from injury, everyone had high expectations for her, but the state on the offensive end did not completely return to its peak. Lanier is so young and in good condition, it's not surprising that she can replace Zhu Ting." This voice is actually not uncommon among fans, after all, Zhu Ting is experienced, but the injuries in the past two years seem to have affected her competitive state, and some even think that her golden age may have passed.
Another netizen said: "No matter what, Zhu Ting's strength and experience cannot be erased overnight. Her contributions in receiving serves and defense, can Lanier make up for this? After all, the team needs more than just scoring, her overall performance is the most critical." This is also the view of many fans, after all, Zhu Ting's role on defense is something Lanier cannot immediately replace, especially her control of the team's rhythm on the court, which is still an advantage that Connelly cannot ignore.
Zhu Ting's situation is obviously a bit delicate.
After recovering from injury, although she had several eye-catching performances, frequent injuries affected her continuity and stability in the game.
She is no longer the indispensable absolute mainstay she once was, but has gradually become an "option" for the team to adjust the lineup.
On the contrary, Lanier's emergence, whether in terms of the sharpness of the attack or the degree of attention from the club, seems to give her the opportunity to replace Zhu Ting as the new main attacker core.
The tactical adjustments of Connelly are also worth paying attention to.
With Gaby's state declining and Hack's performance becoming stronger, the team seems to prefer choosing main attackers who focus more on offense to reduce Hack's scoring pressure.
This is why Lanier's appearance fits the team's needs - she not only has scoring ability but also has considerable room for improvement.
In comparison, Zhu Ting leans more towards the security-type main attacker, stable though she is, but compared to Lanier's offensive burst, she seems a bit less "eye-catching".
Some netizens analyzed: "Zhu Ting's advantage has always been stability and defense, but now Connelly needs more scoring points. Lanier's explosive power and potential really give her more possibilities at the main attacker position. Although Zhu Ting has rich experience in major competitions, if she cannot recover her state on the offensive end, she will inevitably be eliminated." This is undoubtedly the view of many people on Zhu Ting's current dilemma. Modern volleyball increasingly emphasizes comprehensive abilities of both offense and defense, and Zhu Ting's injuries and state fluctuations seem to temporarily fail to meet this demand.
Some fans are also worried about Lanier's rapid rise: "Although Lanier performs outstandingly, the stability of young players is still a problem. With such a high investment in Connelly, they cannot rely solely on a newcomer. Zhu Ting's experience and mental quality, her performance in key matches is still her advantage." These words remind us from another perspective that although young players grow quickly, once they enter high-intensity competitions, stability and mental quality are still key.
Connelly's choice is not only for immediate results but also for future long-term planning.
From the current situation, Zhu Ting's starting position is not as stable as Mount Tai. Although her experience is still irreplaceable, the club's preference for newcomers and tactical changes have put her status under unprecedented challenges.
The next few games may decide whether she can regain her starting position or continue to be a substitute.
All of this remains unclear for the time being.