Hey volleyball fans! 🏐 Get ready to relive an electrifying start to the China Women's Volleyball Super League (VSL) season! 🎉
Fujian pulled off a heart-stopping victory over Beijing in an epic five-set showdown (25-23, 26-24, 24-26, 20-25, 15-10) on Saturday night. The battle had us all on the edge of our seats! 😱
What's new this season? The VSL shook things up with some major reforms to boost the game's excitement. The league now features an A and B tier system. Tier A is packed with last season's top eight teams, while Tier B welcomes the rest, including youth and university squads. Talk about leveling up the competition! 🎮
China's national team libero, Wang Mengjie, recently joined Beijing and is loving the new vibes. \"I believe opportunities and challenges coexist,\" Wang told CGTN Sports Scene's Yuan Rui. \"It gives new players and teams a chance and pushes us all to improve. Right now, I've got to sync up with the team's rhythm ASAP!\" 🏃♀️
Fujian seemed to have it in the bag with a 2-0 lead, but Beijing wasn't backing down. They rallied from a 21-14 deficit to snatch the third set and owned the fourth, pushing the match into a nail-biting decider. Fujian's young star, 21-year-old national team player Zhuang Yushan, came through big time with a whopping 29 points! 🌟
\"My performance was a bit up and down,\" Zhuang admitted. \"I dropped the ball when it counted in the third set 😔. But my teammates had my back in the fifth set, and I'm super grateful! 🙌 Facing stronger teams in this new format is a great test for us, and we're aiming to stay in the top eight!\"
Beijing's new foreign talents, outside hitter Edina Begic from Bosnia and Herzegovina and opposite hitter Jelena Vulin from Serbia, made their debuts. Begic, who racked up a team-high 27 points, is pumped to be playing in China. \"I've played in Italy, Türkiye, Russia, and now I'm thrilled to be here! 🎉\" she shared with Sports Scene. \"There's so much defense and crazy rallies – it's intense! 😁 It's another learning curve for me to up my game and become a better player.\"
The season opener has set the bar high, and if this match is any indicator, we're in for an unforgettable season! Who else is hyped for more volleyball action? 🙋♀️🏐
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
