Former captain of the Chinese women's volleyball national team, Hui Zhuoci, believes that the 2026 Asian Games in Aitina-Nagoa will be an important test for the young squad of the Chinese women's volleyball team. She told CGTN Sports Scene's Jiang Mengxi that the current champion team has undergone significant changes compared to the previous tournament, as many young athletes are participating in the continental multi-sport event for the first time.
Hui noted that 'compared to past Asian Games, we see that the Chinese women's volleyball team has undergone quite a few changes.' She added that for other young players, this will be their first experience at the Asian Games, which in itself is a completely new challenge.
China started its campaign in Japan very confidently, winning both Group B matches in three-set encounters. The team opened the tournament by defeating the Philippines 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, and 25-8), and then beat Kazakhstan 3-0 on Friday, securing first place in the group without a set loss.
Nevertheless, for Hui, the results are only part of the bigger picture. The former outside hitter is particularly interested in how China's developing roster is forming in two key positions—setter and opposite hitter. She stated: 'In this tournament, I will probably pay more attention to two areas—the setter and opposite hitter positions.' In her opinion, the future organization of attacks by Chinese setters will largely determine the team's ability to fully realize its tactical system.
Hui also drew attention to the opposite hitter position, where experienced Gun Xiangyu was a constant element for China for many years. She believes the Asian Games provide an opportunity to assess whether another player can emerge as a long-term option.
These Asian Games took place less than three weeks after China secured the silver medal at the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship, where the team lost in a five-set final to Thailand. This short timeframe gave China an immediate opportunity to demonstrate the lessons learned from the previous campaign. Hui emphasized that she is more interested in progress than just comparing results. She said: 'This tournament is taking place quite soon after the Asian Championship, so we want to see how well the Chinese women's team has been able to adapt during this period. Will they be able to show a more impressive game? Will they be able to learn from the last tournament and give us something new to look forward to this time?'
