Chinese volleyball icon Zhu Ting spearheaded Tianjin to a win over Henan in the opening game of the Chinese Volleyball Super League in Tianjin on Tuesday.

Even though she only scored five points and rested in the third set, her homecoming debut has been carefully prepared by the team and enthusiastically welcomed by the local fans.

National standards to guarantee Zhu's performance

Though she was in the starting lineup, Team Tianjin gave Zhu fewer offensive tasks out of concern for her physical state. After the team guaranteed a 2-0 lead, Zhu was rotated off the court and rested throughout the third set. Such protective measures were less seen in Team Tianjin's previous games, showing the importance the team attaches to Zhu.

Off the court, Team Tianjin also makes an effort to ensure Zhu will have a smooth season. A national lineup of performance training staff has been provided to the team. The lineup formerly worked for the national team, which can been seen as Tianjin's effort to keep up with the national standards when it comes to fitness training. 

Besides the team's training staff, Zhu's teammates Li Yingying, Yaodi, and Wang Yuanyuan also play for the national team. Such lineup on the court allows Team Tianjin to adapt their plays and tactics to those used by the national team.

In addition to that, Tianjin's People's Sports Stadium has been upgraded to meet international standards. Top-notch players like Zhu will be able to get accustomed to the new standards when playing home games.

More engagement with fans

Tuesday's game was Zhu's homecoming game after playing at Turkish Vakifbank for three consecutive seasons. Because Tianjin highly outranks Henan, many fans didn't expect Zhu to play during the opening game. Furthermore, Zhu's appearance in the starting lineup was also a surprise. Zhu was zealously cheered on by fans throughout the game.

A few steps away from the main entrance of the playing arena, a fans service station was built. Inside the station photos of the generations of Tianjin female Volleyball team are displayed along with mottos from the fans. "Tianjin female volleyball will reclaim the 12^th Chinese Volleyball Super League Championship" is one of them.

Team Tianjin hired a popular Hongkong Disc Jockey team to cheer at the home games this season. Zhu also recorded her own team pep talks to play during the games.

After the Tuesday's game, Zhu approached her old Henan coach and teammates and shared with them a Tianjin specialty: Fried dough twists. Perhaps, Zhu's popularity doesn't just come from her powerful strike on the court, but also from her low-profile, hospitable personality, which constitutes some the reasons why she is well liked.