Net gains for men's team, says coach Wu

Despite a lackluster performance in the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, the Chinese men's volleyball team has gained valuable experience, head coach Wu Sheng told Xinhua on Sunday.

The Chinese men finished last among 16 participating teams in the preliminary round with two wins against 10 losses, one win short of its 3-9 record last year.

"We lost a lot of games, but we also gained experience from playing against the world's top teams," said Wu. "We will improve our game and try to produce better performances at the Asian Games in Hangzhou and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament."

Wu believes that the Chinese team needs to be more consistent and balanced in attack to have better results against strong opponents.

"Sometimes we played well, sometimes we found it hard to score. We need better combination and a more balanced attack," he added.

Outside hitter Zhang Jingyin, who has been playing for Poland's Trefl Gdansk since February, emerged as China's sharpest weapon, ranking fourth in the standings for top scorer with 201 points in 12 matches.

"Obviously he is improving, he is benefiting from the experience in Poland," Wu said. "We encourage our players to play in high-level leagues abroad, but they also need time to adapt and demonstrate what they have learned in the games they play with the national team."

Having missed the Olympic Games in London, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, the Chinese men's team is fighting for a berth at the Paris Olympics, with the qualifying tournament slated to take place between Sep 30 and Oct 8 in Xi'an, Shaanxi province.

China will face Bulgaria, Belgium, Mexico, Canada, the Netherlands, Argentina and Poland, with the top two finishers from the single round-robin booking their ticket to France.

"All the teams are eager to go to Paris. We will try our best and take it a game at a time," Wu said.