With a new coach, China start preparations for 2025

China took two important steps to start their preparations for the upcoming 2025 international season by announcing Zhao Yong as the country’s women’s national team's new head coach and calling up 19 players to begin training.

The Asians concluded the 2024 season in fifth place in the FIVB World Rankings and will have two major tournaments to play this year in the Volleyball Nations League and the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship.

• Watch the 2025 Volleybal Nations League live on VBTV

A former player of the Chinese national team, Zhao had been coaching the country’s youth sides since 2023 and led their U17 squad to win gold at the World Championship last year. He also worked with Liaoning in the recently ended Chinese League, helping the team finish in third place. The 50-year-old head coach replaces Cai Bin, who led China from 2022 to 2024.

“Zhao Yong demonstrates strong resilience under pressure, emphasizes discipline in training, and excels in team management,” said former player Lai Yawen, who’s the Chinese Volleyball Association Sports Director. “His competence, coaching experience, work ethic, and mental fortitude make him well-suited for the role of head coach of the Chinese women's volleyball team.”

The new coach’s first call-ups featured just 19 players, but more will be added in the future. Only five of the 13 athletes who competed at the Paris Olympics last year are part of the first list – opposite Gong Xiangyu, outside hitters Li Yingying and Wu Mengjie, middle blocker Wang Yuanyuan and libero Wang Mengjie.

Zhao also gave some of the country’s most promising young players their first opportunities with the national team, adding 16-year-old setter Zhang Zixuan and 16-year-old opposite Yang Shuming, who were both part of the team that he coached to win gold at the U17 World Championship last year, and 18-year-old middle blocker Wang Aoqian to the selection.

China start the VNL at home

The Chinese will not need to travel to compete in the opening week of the VNL 2025 as they will host a pool in Beijing, where they will face Belgium, Poland, France and Türkiye from June 4-8.

From August 22 to September 7, the Asians will compete at the World Championship, in Thailand, where they will have the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Mexico as their first opponents in Pool F.

China women’s national team roster (subject to eligibility check to be conducted by the FIVB):

Setters: Yin Xiaolan, Zhang Zixuan, Zou Jiaqi
Opposites: Fan Poning, Gong Xiangyu, Yang Shuming
Outside Hitters: Dong Yuhan, Li Yingying, Tang Xin, Wu Mengjie, Zhuang Yushan
Middle Blockers: Chen Houyu, Shan Linqian, Wan Ziyue, Wang Aoqian, Wang Yuanyuan
Liberos: Ni Feifan, Wang Mengjie, Zheng Xinyi

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