Rising star Li

Throughout 2022, the star that shone the brightest on Team China was Li Yingying. Without superstar Zhu Ting and veteran outside hitter Zhang Changning, due to injuries, a younger generation, spearheaded by Li, stepped up to shoulder more responsibility on the international stage.

The 22-year-old scored 179 points in total to finish as the team's top scorer, ranking sixth overall in the scoring chart of the world championship. During the VNL in July, Li racked up 248 points to finish third in the tournament's scoring chart.

"From 2018 to 2021, I grew from a kid at the national team to a core player. I was a youngster whose main job was to cheer for the others and, occasionally, I earned the chance to play. But, from the world championships this year, I shouldered a lot more responsibility," Li said in an interview with China Matters.

"But that meant I had more pressure, which influenced my performances to some degree. Winning and losing are a part of competitive sport. What's important, though, is the Chinese volleyball spirit, which is to never give up in the face of adversity, no matter how difficult the challenge is.

"Compared with other teams, we may still have a gap in terms of skill, but we should never lose that spirit. Each time, my goal is to win the key point in the key match for my team. I'm still 22 years old, and I believe I can always do better in the next game. This is just a start to a new chapter. I will work hard for my next Olympics in Paris."

During another interview with Xinhua, Li said another of her goals was to become the next generation of superstar.

"I'm now more confident on the court and I'm closing the gap with the world's top players. The distance is not that big. I believe I can get better with every game. Becoming a true world-class player is my next goal. I will certainly keep working hard and fighting for it." Li said.

"I just felt like I was the one who was attracting extra attention from our rivals. So I always need to be prepared to study our opponents, and to discover the weak spot in their defense. Finding solutions has always been a focus," explained Li.

"When I was younger, I played as a substitute at major championships. The rivals knew little about me, so I could always surprise them. But now I'm a core player, I feel the pressure and it is as if every opponent is focusing on me and studying me. So that presents different challenges."