Due to the tight schedule of the VNL, the men’s volleyball team flew directly from one country to another, and there was no time to return home for rest between the two tournaments. After finishing the Canada station, they would fly to Chicago for the USA station’s matches.
On the plane, Qiao Mingming asked, “When you think of Chicago, what comes to mind?”
His good teammates answered one after another.
“Typewriters.”
“Typewriters +1.”
“Typewriters +2.”
“The Mafia, Al Capone.”
“There’s a musical called ‘Chicago,’ right?”
“The Chicago Bulls and basketball legend Jordan.”
“Chicago is the Sin City, right?”
“No, no, the Sin City is Detroit.”
“The United States has many cities known as ‘Sin Cities,’ and Chicago is one of them!”
The “Chicago Typewriter” received the highest number of votes and was elected as the number one impression of Chicago for the Chinese men’s volleyball team.
Qiao Mingming wiped his face, “I was originally going to ask if you guys want to visit Lake Michigan. Chicago is by Lake Michigan.”
Teammates laughed at his words.
Vice-captain Ding patted Captain Qiao’s head, “Mingming, have you forgotten that we have to face strong teams like Serbia, Poland, and Iran in this station? After playing against them, we have to rush to the next station for the next game. Who has time to go visit Lake Michigan?”
Wake up!, Serbia was a well-known strong team, Poland was a volleyball powerhouse with divine beasts, and Iran was their strongest opponent at the Asian Championships. After playing against them, who would have the energy for anything else?
Qiao Mingming looked disappointed, “I just wanted to bring everyone to relax a bit. I feel like we shouldn’t only focus on volleyball, but also create other memories together.”
The two-meter-tall Captain Qiao also had some delicate thoughts.
Li Ling added, “Don’t we often study together and help each other with English homework?” Studying together was also a precious memory.
Xiong Wu chimed in, “We’ve also been knocked down by Vice-captain Ding together.” They also had memories of getting into gang fights.
Qiao Mingming replied dryly, “You guys are right.”
Just then, Qin Chunxiao turned around, “If you want to see Lake Michigan, we can go to Grant Park. There are many sculptures in the park, and there’s a big fountain. I remember searching for information about that place before boarding. They said there will be an open-air concert by the Band Perry at 9 p.m. on June 18th.”
June 18th happened to be the day after their match against Iran. The game would start at 4 p.m., and even if they played five sets, each set lasting over 30 points, it should still be finished in about four hours. Even if they were exhausted after the game, they could still go to the park. They weren’t sure if they could make it there.
Everyone looked at Qin Chunxiao together, and Newton asked, “Who is the Band Perry?”
Chang Xiaole said he knew, “It’s a band that plays country music, and they sing the song ‘If I Die Young.’” He hummed a few lines, and everyone finally recognized it.
“Oh, so they are the ones who sing that song,” they realized.
It was evident that the Defensive Big Dad was willing to go with Captain Qiao to see Lake Michigan and create some precious memories. This made everyone think about it.
Should they take some time to visit Lake Michigan?
Tong Shulan whispered to Gao Depi, “Xiaozi (Qin Chunxiao) dotes on Mingming too much.”
Was this the love of a Libero’s Big Dad?
Gao Depi said, “Haven’t you noticed that once he recognizes someone as a friend, he will take care of them?” For example, Gao Depi was directionally challenged, so every time they went out together, Qin Chunxiao would automatically take charge of navigation. Despite being the captain and ten years older than Qin Chunxiao, Gao Depi often felt like he was being taken care of. It was kind of embarrassing.
Tong Shulan thought, Could it be that in Xiaozi’s mind, we are also objects of protection?
Liu Yuelou was puzzled, “But don’t concerts require tickets? We won’t have time to book tickets after we get off the plane.”
Aren’t tickets for such concerts usually in high demand?
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I have tickets.” He took out an envelope from his backpack and poured out a stack of tickets. “I have a friend who used to work in the music industry. He met many North American musicians at a music festival, and one of them is the owner of this band. He gave my friend many tickets, but he’s too busy with work. So, before I went abroad, he gave the tickets to me, saying I could take my teammates if we had time. I’ve been thinking about how to tell you guys.”
Chang Xiaole and Li Ling thought, “Xiaozi, is this friend of yours named Lu Xuandong?”
Newton widened his eyes, “So many tickets, aren’t they expensive?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I don’t know. They were all gifts, didn’t cost me anything.”
Then he asked everyone, “Are you going?”
Everyone looked at Newton, and Newton coughed, “If you can get at least two wins in the USA station, I’ll allow you to go.”
“We’ll definitely go!”
All the players shouted together and laughed.
They were athletes, that’s true, but they were also young people. Life should not only be about volleyball, championships, and big dreams, but also about music, fountains, parks, and vast lakes.
So, in order to have more beautiful memories, they would work even harder in the matches.
On June 16th, the VNL USA station officially kicked off in Chicago.
On the first day of the competition, the Chinese team faced Serbia.
Before the match, both teams were in a united, tense, serious, and lively state.
As the assistant coach, Jiang Xiaohai reiterated the tactical points against Serbia to the players, “Serbia is the successor of the former world men’s volleyball powerhouse, the Yugoslavia team. They play fiercely, and in recent years, this team has been on the rise, making them tough opponents. So, everyone should be careful in this match.”
When Jiang Xiaohai said the latter part of the sentence, he deliberately looked at several rough players in the team, as they were the types most easily targeted by delicate opponents.
Min Yaoyang, who took pride in his improved defense during the Japanese League, stood next to Jiang Xiaohai, nodding repeatedly. He probably felt that he had already moved away from the rough player category.
Xiong Wu patted his back, urging him to pay attention.
As the second setter, Li Ling, along with Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng, had been studying the data with Jiang Xiaohai. Now, he joined the analysis, “Yes, but their offense is not as aggressive as the Russians. They rely more on skills, and their attackers have a rich variety of hitting routes, including a figure-eight line.”
The so-called figure-eight line refers to the hitting routes where attackers could hit the ball either to the left or to the right while jumping at the net.
The wider a player’s attacking range was, the larger the angle of the figure-eight line, and the more unpredictable their hitting routes become. It made it harder for defenders to anticipate where the ball would land.
Li Ling, with his naturally flexible and agile shoulders, as well as his imaginative mind, had significantly enriched his hitting routes after training in the Russian Super League. Roman and Alexander, the Russian players, also possessed this characteristic. They belonged to the type that made it difficult for defensive players to handle.
On the other hand, Min Yaoyang’s attacking routes were quite predictable and easy to read. Experienced free players like Qin Chunxiao could tell where he was going to hit the ball just by watching his takeoff, allowing them to position themselves accordingly.
The coaching staff had reminded them of this several times, but once the match started, they still found themselves in a tough battle.
In Lao Niu’s words, their current strength was definitely stronger than Japan and South Korea, but at best they could match up against top-notch teams like Argentina and Serbia.
After Sebastian and Poland defeated Iran 3:1, they learned that the match between China and Serbia had entered the fourth set, and both teams were at 2:1, with China trailing by one set.
Sebastian curiously asked, “Why did they drag the previous three sets for so long?”
Elliott, the current head coach of the Polish men’s national team, a tall and slender middle-aged man in his forties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, replied kindly, “They went over 30 points in each set, and both sides had tight defenses, making it hard for the ball to land.”
Sebastian recalled the first time he saw the Chinese team in the Youth World Championship and couldn’t help but comment, “Are they addicted to playing long matches?”
This team tended to extend matches to five sets against strong opponents, as they did in the Asian Championship and VNL. Perhaps the Chinese players had some extraordinary endurance talent?
Sebastian’s teammate, the second setter Fabio, thought for a while, “I think it’s because one of their tactical cores is defense-oriented. Based on my experience from watching the Asian Championship last year, their overall strength is not particularly strong compared to many other teams, but their defensive players are capable of receiving the ball. As long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground, they can grind down their opponents until they win.”
This style of play, relying on long rallies and grinding down the opponent, was somewhat similar to Japan’s play, except that China had a stronger offense and block than Japan.
However, playing against such opponents was quite annoying because even if they won, it would cost them a lot of effort.
The Polish players felt a stir in their hearts. Driven by curiosity, they went to the venue where China was playing against Serbia and discovered that Iran was also there. When they saw Poland approaching, the Iranian players shifted to give them space.
Coach Elliott thanked them kindly and found that the match between China and Serbia was in the fourth set, and the score was tied at 24:24.
Iran’s player, Ah Sang, said, “Serbia almost won this set just now, but their libero made a mistake, giving China a chance to turn things around with one point.”
Sebastian asked, “What kind of mistake?”
Ah Sang explained, “The libero attempted a second attack from three meters outside the net, but he didn’t control the height well, and the referee called him for reaching above the net.”
Serbia’s libero was skilled at receiving, and his physical condition was much better than Qin Chunxiao’s, an underage player. He had solid muscles and quick reactions, making him one of the best liberos in the world. The only problem was that he had originally been a main attacker. Despite playing in the specialized defensive position of libero, he would sometimes try to help the team with attacks when they were in a crisis.
The idea was good, but when executed poorly, it only handed points to the opponent.
In his past life, when Qin Chunxiao had just converted to libero, he had the same issue. With an average height but an arm span much longer than his height, he would often accidentally reach above the net while attempting second attacks from three meters outside. After suffering a few losses, he became cautious. If he couldn’t guarantee the appropriate height, he preferred not to attack and focus on passing.
For example, during the match against Serbia, Qin Chunxiao didn’t try this move even once. He simply focused on receiving, making it difficult for Serbia to score.
Serbia had clearly studied China before the match and didn’t rush when they couldn’t immediately win the fourth set. Instead, they patiently battled with China.
Their thinking was easy to guess. China had the worst past performance among all the teams in this tournament. If they couldn’t even defeat China, it would be even more challenging to face other teams. They decided to give it their all today and win this match.
China’s motivation was even simpler: they were determined to go together to Grant Park for the concert, so they fought with all their might!
With their strong spirit and tenacity, China managed to secure the fourth set with a score of 27-25.
Even the commentators were excited now. Wu Di from the “Volleyball Frontline” program shouted into the microphone, “After losing two consecutive sets, China has bounced back and completed a brilliant counterattack!”
Li Laiheng, looking at the statistical data provided by the production team, exclaimed, “Qin Chunxiao made some critical saves today. Coach Newton’s decision to let him play as a libero was spot on.”
Without Qin Chunxiao’s saves, China would have lost today.
Sebastian also noticed this, “Misha Qin played really well today, even calmer than when facing Brazil.”
Good liberos possess the ability to direct their teammates. They can determine whether their hitting balls are suitable for the setter’s passes and whether they can deceive the opposing block. These are detailed aspects that test a libero’s vision and overall perspective.
Although Sebastian had only seen a few plays, he already recognized that Qin Chunxiao handled these details very well. From the moment the ball left Serbia’s attacker’s palm to the other side of the net, in those short fractions of a second, Qin Chunxiao instinctively dove to receive the ball and sent it to the most suitable spot for the setter’s pass.
His game intelligence and court sense must be incredibly high!
Sebastian made a judgment, “I don’t know who will win in the end, but Misha Qin is better than Karl.”
Karl was Serbia’s libero.
Sebastian rarely praised someone in volleyball, so when his teammates heard him give such a high evaluation to Misha Qin, they were all surprised.
Only Coach Elliott nodded in agreement, “If Misha Qin were 20 centimeters taller, he would be an even stronger attacker than Sebastian. His reactions, speed, and explosiveness are all remarkable.”
Sebastian’s face immediately changed, and he complained, “Coach, we agreed not to criticize when praising someone!”
Elliott coughed, “I’m sorry, I’ll pay attention next time.”
In the midst of the conversation, the match entered the fifth set, which was the most exhausting part of this intense battle. After the prolonged tugging between the two teams, both sides were physically drained.
However, surprisingly, China suddenly burst forth with a fighting spirit as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Despite their energy levels being depleted, they fought with even greater determination. The libero made life-saving saves, and the attackers put in extra effort while spiking. As soon as they scored a point, they would pump their chests and roar.
Their infectious energy was incredibly strong, even the spectators at the scene were caught up in the excitement, cheering loudly.
With this tremendous morale boost, China added Serbia to the list of defeated opponents!
At the moment the match ended, the group of young men lifted the libero high and paraded around the court, and the audience joined in the cheering, creating a magical and surreal scene.
In the electrifying atmosphere of the stadium, Coach Elliott pushed his glasses up and exclaimed, “What a group of fierce guys!”
The match was quite exciting, filled with passion and intense offense and defense, albeit a bit noisy, especially when serving, as the Chinese players would shout “wo ding.”
By the time they finished watching the Chinese team’s match, Coach Elliott had already memorized the pronunciation of the phrase.
After the match, Qin Chunxiao sat on a chair and chugged half a bottle of water. Mao Xunfeng came over to poke him, “Xiao Zai, look at the stands.”
Qin Chunxiao turned around, “Huh? Isn’t it the Iranian team here to watch the game? Isn’t it normal for opponents to come and watch?”
Mao Xunfeng said, “No, look next to the Iranian team, the Polish team is here too, and Sebastian is there. He’s probably the biggest star in this tournament!”
Sebastian was one of the three players in men’s volleyball with an annual salary exceeding one million US dollars.
Qin Chunxiao finally recalled, “Oh, oh, that’s Sebastian. The one who got bitten by a snake on the butt, hid the ring in a cake to propose to his girlfriend, but ended up swallowing the ring.”
Due to the tight schedule of the VNL, the men’s volleyball team flew directly from one country to another, and there was no time to return home for rest between the two tournaments. After finishing the Canada station, they would fly to Chicago for the USA station’s matches.
On the plane, Qiao Mingming asked, “When you think of Chicago, what comes to mind?”
His good teammates answered one after another.
“Typewriters.”
“Typewriters +1.”
“Typewriters +2.”
“The Mafia, Al Capone.”
“There’s a musical called ‘Chicago,’ right?”
“The Chicago Bulls and basketball legend Jordan.”
“Chicago is the Sin City, right?”
“No, no, the Sin City is Detroit.”
“The United States has many cities known as ‘Sin Cities,’ and Chicago is one of them!”
The “Chicago Typewriter” received the highest number of votes and was elected as the number one impression of Chicago for the Chinese men’s volleyball team.
Qiao Mingming wiped his face, “I was originally going to ask if you guys want to visit Lake Michigan. Chicago is by Lake Michigan.”
Teammates laughed at his words.
Vice-captain Ding patted Captain Qiao’s head, “Mingming, have you forgotten that we have to face strong teams like Serbia, Poland, and Iran in this station? After playing against them, we have to rush to the next station for the next game. Who has time to go visit Lake Michigan?”
Wake up!, Serbia was a well-known strong team, Poland was a volleyball powerhouse with divine beasts, and Iran was their strongest opponent at the Asian Championships. After playing against them, who would have the energy for anything else?
Qiao Mingming looked disappointed, “I just wanted to bring everyone to relax a bit. I feel like we shouldn’t only focus on volleyball, but also create other memories together.”
The two-meter-tall Captain Qiao also had some delicate thoughts.
Li Ling added, “Don’t we often study together and help each other with English homework?” Studying together was also a precious memory.
Xiong Wu chimed in, “We’ve also been knocked down by Vice-captain Ding together.” They also had memories of getting into gang fights.
Qiao Mingming replied dryly, “You guys are right.”
Just then, Qin Chunxiao turned around, “If you want to see Lake Michigan, we can go to Grant Park. There are many sculptures in the park, and there’s a big fountain. I remember searching for information about that place before boarding. They said there will be an open-air concert by the Band Perry at 9 p.m. on June 18th.”
June 18th happened to be the day after their match against Iran. The game would start at 4 p.m., and even if they played five sets, each set lasting over 30 points, it should still be finished in about four hours. Even if they were exhausted after the game, they could still go to the park. They weren’t sure if they could make it there.
Everyone looked at Qin Chunxiao together, and Newton asked, “Who is the Band Perry?”
Chang Xiaole said he knew, “It’s a band that plays country music, and they sing the song ‘If I Die Young.’” He hummed a few lines, and everyone finally recognized it.
“Oh, so they are the ones who sing that song,” they realized.
It was evident that the Defensive Big Dad was willing to go with Captain Qiao to see Lake Michigan and create some precious memories. This made everyone think about it.
Should they take some time to visit Lake Michigan?
Tong Shulan whispered to Gao Depi, “Xiaozi (Qin Chunxiao) dotes on Mingming too much.”
Was this the love of a Libero’s Big Dad?
Gao Depi said, “Haven’t you noticed that once he recognizes someone as a friend, he will take care of them?” For example, Gao Depi was directionally challenged, so every time they went out together, Qin Chunxiao would automatically take charge of navigation. Despite being the captain and ten years older than Qin Chunxiao, Gao Depi often felt like he was being taken care of. It was kind of embarrassing.
Tong Shulan thought, Could it be that in Xiaozi’s mind, we are also objects of protection?
Liu Yuelou was puzzled, “But don’t concerts require tickets? We won’t have time to book tickets after we get off the plane.”
Aren’t tickets for such concerts usually in high demand?
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I have tickets.” He took out an envelope from his backpack and poured out a stack of tickets. “I have a friend who used to work in the music industry. He met many North American musicians at a music festival, and one of them is the owner of this band. He gave my friend many tickets, but he’s too busy with work. So, before I went abroad, he gave the tickets to me, saying I could take my teammates if we had time. I’ve been thinking about how to tell you guys.”
Chang Xiaole and Li Ling thought, “Xiaozi, is this friend of yours named Lu Xuandong?”
Newton widened his eyes, “So many tickets, aren’t they expensive?”
Qin Chunxiao replied, “I don’t know. They were all gifts, didn’t cost me anything.”
Then he asked everyone, “Are you going?”
Everyone looked at Newton, and Newton coughed, “If you can get at least two wins in the USA station, I’ll allow you to go.”
“We’ll definitely go!”
All the players shouted together and laughed.
They were athletes, that’s true, but they were also young people. Life should not only be about volleyball, championships, and big dreams, but also about music, fountains, parks, and vast lakes.
So, in order to have more beautiful memories, they would work even harder in the matches.
On June 16th, the VNL USA station officially kicked off in Chicago.
On the first day of the competition, the Chinese team faced Serbia.
Before the match, both teams were in a united, tense, serious, and lively state.
As the assistant coach, Jiang Xiaohai reiterated the tactical points against Serbia to the players, “Serbia is the successor of the former world men’s volleyball powerhouse, the Yugoslavia team. They play fiercely, and in recent years, this team has been on the rise, making them tough opponents. So, everyone should be careful in this match.”
When Jiang Xiaohai said the latter part of the sentence, he deliberately looked at several rough players in the team, as they were the types most easily targeted by delicate opponents.
Min Yaoyang, who took pride in his improved defense during the Japanese League, stood next to Jiang Xiaohai, nodding repeatedly. He probably felt that he had already moved away from the rough player category.
Xiong Wu patted his back, urging him to pay attention.
As the second setter, Li Ling, along with Ding Rong and Mao Xunfeng, had been studying the data with Jiang Xiaohai. Now, he joined the analysis, “Yes, but their offense is not as aggressive as the Russians. They rely more on skills, and their attackers have a rich variety of hitting routes, including a figure-eight line.”
The so-called figure-eight line refers to the hitting routes where attackers could hit the ball either to the left or to the right while jumping at the net.
The wider a player’s attacking range was, the larger the angle of the figure-eight line, and the more unpredictable their hitting routes become. It made it harder for defenders to anticipate where the ball would land.
Li Ling, with his naturally flexible and agile shoulders, as well as his imaginative mind, had significantly enriched his hitting routes after training in the Russian Super League. Roman and Alexander, the Russian players, also possessed this characteristic. They belonged to the type that made it difficult for defensive players to handle.
On the other hand, Min Yaoyang’s attacking routes were quite predictable and easy to read. Experienced free players like Qin Chunxiao could tell where he was going to hit the ball just by watching his takeoff, allowing them to position themselves accordingly.
The coaching staff had reminded them of this several times, but once the match started, they still found themselves in a tough battle.
In Lao Niu’s words, their current strength was definitely stronger than Japan and South Korea, but at best they could match up against top-notch teams like Argentina and Serbia.
After Sebastian and Poland defeated Iran 3:1, they learned that the match between China and Serbia had entered the fourth set, and both teams were at 2:1, with China trailing by one set.
Sebastian curiously asked, “Why did they drag the previous three sets for so long?”
Elliott, the current head coach of the Polish men’s national team, a tall and slender middle-aged man in his forties wearing gold-rimmed glasses, replied kindly, “They went over 30 points in each set, and both sides had tight defenses, making it hard for the ball to land.”
Sebastian recalled the first time he saw the Chinese team in the Youth World Championship and couldn’t help but comment, “Are they addicted to playing long matches?”
This team tended to extend matches to five sets against strong opponents, as they did in the Asian Championship and VNL. Perhaps the Chinese players had some extraordinary endurance talent?
Sebastian’s teammate, the second setter Fabio, thought for a while, “I think it’s because one of their tactical cores is defense-oriented. Based on my experience from watching the Asian Championship last year, their overall strength is not particularly strong compared to many other teams, but their defensive players are capable of receiving the ball. As long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground, they can grind down their opponents until they win.”
This style of play, relying on long rallies and grinding down the opponent, was somewhat similar to Japan’s play, except that China had a stronger offense and block than Japan.
However, playing against such opponents was quite annoying because even if they won, it would cost them a lot of effort.
The Polish players felt a stir in their hearts. Driven by curiosity, they went to the venue where China was playing against Serbia and discovered that Iran was also there. When they saw Poland approaching, the Iranian players shifted to give them space.
Coach Elliott thanked them kindly and found that the match between China and Serbia was in the fourth set, and the score was tied at 24:24.
Iran’s player, Ah Sang, said, “Serbia almost won this set just now, but their libero made a mistake, giving China a chance to turn things around with one point.”
Sebastian asked, “What kind of mistake?”
Ah Sang explained, “The libero attempted a second attack from three meters outside the net, but he didn’t control the height well, and the referee called him for reaching above the net.”
Serbia’s libero was skilled at receiving, and his physical condition was much better than Qin Chunxiao’s, an underage player. He had solid muscles and quick reactions, making him one of the best liberos in the world. The only problem was that he had originally been a main attacker. Despite playing in the specialized defensive position of libero, he would sometimes try to help the team with attacks when they were in a crisis.
The idea was good, but when executed poorly, it only handed points to the opponent.
In his past life, when Qin Chunxiao had just converted to libero, he had the same issue. With an average height but an arm span much longer than his height, he would often accidentally reach above the net while attempting second attacks from three meters outside. After suffering a few losses, he became cautious. If he couldn’t guarantee the appropriate height, he preferred not to attack and focus on passing.
For example, during the match against Serbia, Qin Chunxiao didn’t try this move even once. He simply focused on receiving, making it difficult for Serbia to score.
Serbia had clearly studied China before the match and didn’t rush when they couldn’t immediately win the fourth set. Instead, they patiently battled with China.
Their thinking was easy to guess. China had the worst past performance among all the teams in this tournament. If they couldn’t even defeat China, it would be even more challenging to face other teams. They decided to give it their all today and win this match.
China’s motivation was even simpler: they were determined to go together to Grant Park for the concert, so they fought with all their might!
With their strong spirit and tenacity, China managed to secure the fourth set with a score of 27-25.
Even the commentators were excited now. Wu Di from the “Volleyball Frontline” program shouted into the microphone, “After losing two consecutive sets, China has bounced back and completed a brilliant counterattack!”
Li Laiheng, looking at the statistical data provided by the production team, exclaimed, “Qin Chunxiao made some critical saves today. Coach Newton’s decision to let him play as a libero was spot on.”
Without Qin Chunxiao’s saves, China would have lost today.
Sebastian also noticed this, “Misha Qin played really well today, even calmer than when facing Brazil.”
Good liberos possess the ability to direct their teammates. They can determine whether their hitting balls are suitable for the setter’s passes and whether they can deceive the opposing block. These are detailed aspects that test a libero’s vision and overall perspective.
Although Sebastian had only seen a few plays, he already recognized that Qin Chunxiao handled these details very well. From the moment the ball left Serbia’s attacker’s palm to the other side of the net, in those short fractions of a second, Qin Chunxiao instinctively dove to receive the ball and sent it to the most suitable spot for the setter’s pass.
His game intelligence and court sense must be incredibly high!
Sebastian made a judgment, “I don’t know who will win in the end, but Misha Qin is better than Karl.”
Karl was Serbia’s libero.
Sebastian rarely praised someone in volleyball, so when his teammates heard him give such a high evaluation to Misha Qin, they were all surprised.
Only Coach Elliott nodded in agreement, “If Misha Qin were 20 centimeters taller, he would be an even stronger attacker than Sebastian. His reactions, speed, and explosiveness are all remarkable.”
Sebastian’s face immediately changed, and he complained, “Coach, we agreed not to criticize when praising someone!”
Elliott coughed, “I’m sorry, I’ll pay attention next time.”
In the midst of the conversation, the match entered the fifth set, which was the most exhausting part of this intense battle. After the prolonged tugging between the two teams, both sides were physically drained.
However, surprisingly, China suddenly burst forth with a fighting spirit as if they had been injected with chicken blood. Despite their energy levels being depleted, they fought with even greater determination. The libero made life-saving saves, and the attackers put in extra effort while spiking. As soon as they scored a point, they would pump their chests and roar.
Their infectious energy was incredibly strong, even the spectators at the scene were caught up in the excitement, cheering loudly.
With this tremendous morale boost, China added Serbia to the list of defeated opponents!
At the moment the match ended, the group of young men lifted the libero high and paraded around the court, and the audience joined in the cheering, creating a magical and surreal scene.
In the electrifying atmosphere of the stadium, Coach Elliott pushed his glasses up and exclaimed, “What a group of fierce guys!”
The match was quite exciting, filled with passion and intense offense and defense, albeit a bit noisy, especially when serving, as the Chinese players would shout “wo ding.”
By the time they finished watching the Chinese team’s match, Coach Elliott had already memorized the pronunciation of the phrase.
After the match, Qin Chunxiao sat on a chair and chugged half a bottle of water. Mao Xunfeng came over to poke him, “Xiao Zai, look at the stands.”
Qin Chunxiao turned around, “Huh? Isn’t it the Iranian team here to watch the game? Isn’t it normal for opponents to come and watch?”
Mao Xunfeng said, “No, look next to the Iranian team, the Polish team is here too, and Sebastian is there. He’s probably the biggest star in this tournament!”
Sebastian was one of the three players in men’s volleyball with an annual salary exceeding one million US dollars.
Qin Chunxiao finally recalled, “Oh, oh, that’s Sebastian. The one who got bitten by a snake on the butt, hid the ring in a cake to propose to his girlfriend, but ended up swallowing the ring.”
