Tianjin Women's Volleyball Team has advanced to the top four, and when they face opponents who have also made it to the top four, the results of their matches will carry over to the next stage. Since Beijing Women's Volleyball Team has already been eliminated from the top four, their encounters with these teams are merely for saving face. The match between Tianjin and Beijing in the fourth round of the first stage of the playoffs will be broadcast live on CCTV5. However, since the outcome of the game holds no significance for either side, both teams should approach it more casually, making it akin to an exchange match. Both teams will refine their lineups based on their weaknesses to better prepare for the next stage of competition, especially Tianjin, which has its sights set on winning the championship.
This match sees Tianjin playing away, and they have already arrived in Beijing, conducting pre-game adaptive training at the renovated Beijing Guangcai Gymnasium. In the group confrontation phase, Li Yingying, Yao Di, and Liu Liwen have withdrawn from the starting lineup, with their positions taken by Liu Meijun, Meng Dou, and Fujii Risa. Head coach Chen Fang has also stated that several players will be rested during the match against Beijing, and it is clear that Li Yingying, Yao Di, and Liu Liwen are likely candidates for rest. Li Yingying has been playing every game this season, only taking a break in individual sets, which has been very demanding. This time, she can finally watch the game from the sidelines without any worries.
Yao Di was called upon in a crisis, but her physical condition has not fully recovered. Meng Dou was substituted mid-game and now only comes on to serve at the end of each match, with good serving results. However, Meng Dou is being groomed as Yao Di's successor, so she must use this opportunity to integrate with the team and maintain composure and stability, as time is running out for her. After Yao Di takes up a position at Tianjin University and retires after this year's National Games, all the responsibilities will fall on Meng Dou. Meng Dou has led the team to win the national championship before, and it is believed that she can self-adjust and soon become a reliable setter.
Tianjin Women's Volleyball Team currently faces the issue of a relatively fixed lineup, so they also need to use practice matches to enrich their lineup changes, significantly enhancing the team's depth and providing Coach Chen with more options. With Shanghai Women's Volleyball Team parting ways with Xiaocaiwa, Tianjin's biggest obstacle to winning the championship this season is gone, and they have a high chance of easily securing their seventeenth title. However, whether Tianjin can maintain their competitiveness next season remains uncertain, as does whether Wang Baoquan will return. If Tianjin wants to continue their championship streak, one practice match will not be enough. We wish them good luck.
