The regular season of the Chinese Women's Volleyball League has now concluded, with the teams entering the playoffs remaining largely unchanged from previous years. The top contenders are once again the stronger teams, but there is one notable difference this time around: Beijing Team has been eliminated, allowing Liaoning Team to enter the playoffs, which came as a surprise to many fans.
Beijing Team is indeed strong, having signed Wang Mengjie, the national team's libero, this year. It was expected that Beijing Team would perform well and have no trouble making it to the playoffs. However, during the regular season, Wang Mengjie suffered an injury, dealing a significant blow to Beijing Team. This marks the first time Beijing Team has been eliminated in the regular season, which is quite an achievement considering the team's limited player strength.
The four teams that have made it to the playoffs are Tianjin Team, Jiangsu Team, Shanghai Team, and Liaoning Team. The first three teams are very strong, so for Liaoning Team, every match is a challenge. Each of these teams has players from the national team who are familiar with each other. Perhaps Shanghai Team is relatively weaker in comparison.
With the departure of the previous foreign player, Fedor Tcheva, who helped Shanghai Team win many matches while she was there, the team missed the opportunity to sign another foreign player after her departure. For Shanghai Team, every opponent in the playoffs is a challenge, as foreign players tend to be much stronger than domestic players. Fedor Tcheva's departure dealt a heavy blow to Shanghai Team.
Following Beijing Team's elimination, Liaoning Team, which advanced to the playoffs, caught the attention of fans. This season, Liaoning Team has been incredibly strong, rarely losing any matches, even against the powerful Shandong Team. In fact, both Liaoning Team and Shandong Team were strong this year, and Liaoning Team's victory over Shandong Team to enter the top four was expected. Liaoning Team's entry into the playoffs is mainly due to the emergence of Ding Xia and Xu Jia'nan.
Ding Xia is well-known to many as a member of the national team and even a veteran. However, her performance with the national team has always been controversial. This time, her performance with the provincial team proved herself. Another player who came into the spotlight through this match is Xu Jia'nan, Liaoning Team's libero. If Xu Jia'nan continues to perform outstandingly in upcoming matches, she might be selected for the national team. Currently, only Wang Mengjie stands out among the national team's liberos. If Xu Jia'nan can join the national team, it might bring a pleasant surprise to Cai Bin and make China's performance on the international stage more relaxed.