China players celebrate after defeating the U.S. in the Volleyball Nations League at Suwon, South Korea, July 2, 2023. /CFP
China coach Cai Bin has urged his players to take heed of their missteps and scale new heights after their best ever finish at the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
Ranked No. 6 in the world ahead of the tournament, China beat the odds to edge out hosts the United States, South American giants Brazil and European powerhouse Poland before slumping to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Türkiye in the final. Runners-up represented an improvement on China's third position in 2018 and 2019.
"By and large, we've reaped significant rewards from this year's VNL. We've come up against almost all the rivals we're likely to encounter at the Paris Olympics," said Cai.
China captain Yuan Xinyue blocks Türkiye's Zehra Gunes at the net during the Volleyball Nations League at the College Park Center in Arlington, the United States, July 16, 2023. /CFP
"While our performance has been mixed, with both victories and defeats, these games have furnished us with precious experience and insights to identify our areas of excellence and improvement against top-tier teams. They have also helped us set specific targets to enhance our skills in the future."
"The margin of error is so slim in the VNL as many of the participating teams are evenly matched," added Cai.
"Our match against Türkiye was not as relaxed as it could have been. Our players appeared to be somewhat uptight and didn't quite loosen up, resulting in a more cautious approach to our strategies and techniques.
"Any team in the process of maturing will inevitably experience ups and downs. This is perfectly normal.
China players react after winning a point against Brazil in the quarterfinals of the Volleyball Nations League at the College Park Center in Arlington, the United States, July 13, 2023. /CFP
"The coaching staff will work closely with the players to carefully evaluate the situation and strive to minimize the frequency of these fluctuations, thereby allowing the players to more smoothly showcase their technical abilities."
Cai has made it clear that the team is fully committed to preparing for the Olympic qualification tournament in Ningbo and the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September.
"I believe that every game we play is a learning experience," he said. "Whether we perform poorly or exceed expectations, we always take the time to reflect and evaluate the areas in which we can improve.
"We still have time to grow and develop, and we will continue to do so with each game we play."