My Soulmate is A Libero
Magazine “Volleyball,” Page 7
As July arrived, people knew that one of the most anticipated events of the year was about to begin – the VNL Finals. The eight teams that had made it to the finals this year were all well-known world-class teams. In theory, each team had the chance to stand on the podium, so let’s wait and see.
What the article didn’t mention was the only drawback to this competition: the recent prevalence of a lung illness in the United States. While it hasn’t yet spread to Illinois, where the competition was taking place, the athletes were being cautious. Some of the players, led by the Brazilian team, had prepared masks.
Despite their lively entrances, several teams had put on masks after entering the venue. After all, athletes rely on their bodies for their profession. Coach Mars, with his rich experience, had seen numerous instances of athletes missing matches due to illness in his lifetime. He was the first to buy masks.
Coach Mars was not only mature and composed but also highly perceptive. It was said that his acute senses come from his father’s experiences fighting as a guerrilla alongside Che Guevara and his family had a long history.
The Chinese team was also wearing masks. Due to a viral cold, Aizimaiti’s urine samples, test results, and medication had all been reported to WADA.
Other teams also had players with colds, but they hadn’t gone to the extent of immediately sending people to hospitals for infection checks like the Chinese team. They had simply been given medication to rest and handed their urine samples to on-site WADA officials.
Interestingly, half of the teams participating in VNL in the United States had fallen ill. It was unclear whether the tight schedule of VNL or the difference in environment was the cause. Even the American team had members who were sick, most likely due to the transmission of the lung illness.
During warm-up, both the Chinese and Brazilian teams kept their masks on. This led the fans who came to watch the China vs. Brazil match to speculate about who among the players was wearing a mask.
Excluding Qin Chunxiao and Dominique, who were easily recognizable due to their height difference, and Fu Biyang, who stood out as the darkest among them, Qin Chunxiao suddenly remembered something and asked Li Ling, “Did you see Dongzi’s younger brother over here?”
Li Ling: “Yes.”
Qin Chunxiao quickly sent a message to Yashenka and took out a mask from his sports bag. Feeling that the mask was too light to be thrown accurately, he borrowed medical tape from Wang Yan and stuck it together with a bottle of water, imitating a basketball shot.
Seated in the front row, Lu Xuandong raised his hands and steadily caught the mask and bottled water. Qin Chunxiao made a gesture for him to put on the mask.
Newton clicked his tongue and said, “Our Dundun doesn’t hide anything. With my experience, those two have a situation.”
Jiang Xiaohai said, “Brother Newton, focus on the game, okay? You’re a coach!”
Furthermore, considering their personalities, if Dundu had any thoughts, he would definitely express them candidly.
Newton chuckled and raised the tactical board, “Kids, get ready!”
Meanwhile, viewers watching the live stream online were commenting:
“That someone looks like… Lu Xuandong, right?”
“Lu Dong is awesome; he’s gone to watch the VNL Finals live again.”
“Is there some kind of infectious disease in the United States? Why do I see several teams wearing masks? Aren’t they being overly cautious?”
“Oh my, the smile on Lu Dong’s face when he received the mask and water… I’ve never seen him smile like that before when he was in the scene. How should I describe it? In the past, he used to smile with the corners of his mouth slightly up, very polite, but there wasn’t much happiness. ‘Eyebrows and eyes smiling’ is a description that definitely can’t be applied to him, but now his happiness seems more genuine.”
“Lu Dong has become even more handsome. By the way, every time he appears on screen with me, he looks especially handsome. Is it because he smiles more genuinely when he’s with me?”
Lu Yunchen was sitting in the venue of Russian-Iran would be played, at this moment Yashenka walked to the audience and waved to him.
Lu Yunchen pointed at himself “Me?”
Yashenka, “Yes. You, come here.”
Lu Yunchen squeezed over and complained, “You are beckoning me like you’re beckoning a dog”
Yashenka didn’t say anything, he just handed him a mask. “Put this on. There’s been an outbreak of respiratory illness in North America recently. If you get infected and have a fever, it’ll be difficult for you to enter the country when you return, and you might get stuck at immigration.”
As a doctor, Yashenka’s words were quite practical. Lu Yunchen quickly put on the mask with bright eyes, appearing eager for praise. Yashenka turned and walked away.
Lu Yunchen: “Doctor Yashenka is determined not to let me down, not even a bit of fantasy.”
Other members of the Russian team were equally convinced by Yashenka’s words, and they all came to him asking for masks.
At the same time, the match between the Chinese and Brazilian teams finally began.
It was destined to be a flashy match.
As a mature team, the Brazilian team had a complete lineup – spikers, setters, opposite hitters – with a deep bench and a variety of tactics. Coached by Mars, their tactics sometimes changed so fast that it left the audience bewildered.
Coach Mars was crafty, and so was Coach Newton. To deal with the Brazilian team, Newton didn’t make Dundun his defensive core this time. Instead, he let Du Xiaofeng play as a libero, while Qin Chunxiao, Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, and Tong Shulan stood together on the attacking side, with Li Ling playing setter.
Ever since Li Ling improved his setting accuracy in the Russian Super League and showcased his creative thinking that often eluded his opponents, he had taken on more of an offensive role as a setter. With a good performance, he was starting to edge Ding Rong toward the substitute bench.
As Li Ling grew, Ding Rong had also become more like an experienced fox on the court. Both Li Ling and Ding Rong were setter-hitters who excelled in both offense and defense. They had a high level of cooperation with their teammates and could play with different rhythms and styles. By rotating between them, it made it difficult for opponents to predict their strategies.
Newton alternated between Li Ling and Ding Rong in this match, aiming to disrupt Brazil’s attacking rhythm. Yes, the setters were the core of the Chinese team today!
“Why did Qin Chunxiao enter the court?” someone wondered.
Newton explained, “Dun Dun has the best synergy with Li Ling among all the spikers in the world. During the All-China Games, the two of them scored countless points together for the Guangdong team.”
Qin Chunxiao’s role was to assist. If Li Ling’s play was erratic, he would make adjustments to the attack. If Du Xiaofeng’s defense faltered, he would cover for him.
Luckily, Li Ling lived up to expectations. Right from the start, he scored a point with a second attack amid the cluster of Chinese spikers.
Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, Tong Shulan: “…”
Qin Chunxiao: “Used to it.”
Fortunately, Li Ling only played like this once. Afterward, he returned to his role as the commanding tower on the court. Previously, Li Ling’s uniqueness lay in not sticking to tactics, which made both the enemy and his teammates unable to anticipate his moves. However, back then, Li Ling’s mastery of tactics wasn’t as refined as that of the experienced setters Mao Xunfeng and Ding Rong. So, when he tried imaginative maneuvers, opponents often exploited his vulnerabilities. Hence, he could only be a wild card.
But now, Li Ling was different. He was approaching a level 90 player, and he had made up for his tactical weaknesses. Under the guidance of coaches Chen Aiguo, Newton, and Nikolai, he had honed his fundamentals to a solid level. It wasn’t easy to exploit his weaknesses anymore.
What followed surprised everyone. For the first time in history, the Chinese team was evenly matched with the Brazilian team.
In the past, China’s strategy had revolved around Qin Chunxiao’s defensive core and counterattacks. Qin Chunxiao had to do everything he could to receive balls that seemed impossible to reach by others’ standards. This forced Brazil’s efficiency in scoring points to drop, creating opportunities for victory.
This time, the Chinese team displayed the same offensive efficiency as Brazil.
Even the Brazilian team hadn’t expected China to be this powerful today. To put it bluntly, it was like a group of hungry wolves being released from a cage after being confined for three days and nights, now hunting with intensity.
Mars: “Hmm, they’re channeling the frustration from that loss in Australia station today.”
Teams sometimes depended on their fighting spirit, but that spirit couldn’t be maintained 365 days a year. Therefore, good coaches chose to keep their players’ energy in check and unleash it on more crucial occasions.
For the Chinese team, the VNL Finals were indeed one of the most critical moments of the year.
Before the match, Newton told his players, “We’ve lost to the Brazilian team again and again. It’s time to turn the tide. You’ve honed your fundamentals, and you have so many reliable teammates. If you don’t win now, when will you?”
In the first set, China narrowly won 25-23.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Mars quickly adjusted his tactics, deploying the ultimate coaching strategy – giving that cursed ball to Dominique!
The best way to deal with flashy tactics was a strong attack from a high point, allowing the towering, smart, and tactful beast to block and spike from unreachable heights!
The Russian team had previously used this strategy against the Brazilian team’s Roman, and now, with the addition of Dominik, Brazil could do the same.
China was slow to respond to this change and lost the second set to Brazil. However, Newton remained unfazed. He also adjusted his lineup, subbing in Kong Duojin for Du Xiaofeng.
“Xiao Jin, you and Xiao Ji block at the net. Li Ling, seize every opportunity to initiate attacks. Ready Xiaozi!” Newton looked at Qin Chunxiao, who gave a thumbs-up.
Newton also unleashed his ultimate move – having my dear Dun catch that cursed ball!
“Kids, a few years ago, people called the Chinese men’s volleyball team weak, losing here and there. Among the VNL member countries, we were at the bottom. Even the second teams of strong teams gave us a hard time. In Asia, Iran, Australia, and Japan could beat us. We were all feeling frustrated back then.”
“When the coach took over the national team, our leadership asked me, ‘When can we restore our reputation?’ Now I can answer him. It’s today, it’s right now!”
Newton’s passionate speech stirred up the players, and they responded with loud cheers.
Not far away, Mars looked at the notebook on the seat behind Newton. He remembered that he, Nikolai, and other coaches also had a notebook where they recorded motivational phrases. Suddenly, he realized something – Newton was skilled. Today, he, Old Mars, had met a worthy opponent.
In the third set, Qin Chunxiao once again stood opposite Dominique.
He slightly lowered his upper body, ready to sprint or dive at any moment. His footsteps followed his teammates without pause, resembling a silent guardian accompanying a wolf pack on a hunt.
Dominique was both the prey of the wolf pack and a formidable adversary capable of inflicting the most damage on them.
As the towering giant, standing nearly 2.2 meters, prepared to spike the ball from a high position, aiming for a classic downward smash, Qin Chunxiao lifted his left foot and kicked the ball into Li Ling’s hands.
My Soulmate is A Libero
Magazine “Volleyball,” Page 7
As July arrived, people knew that one of the most anticipated events of the year was about to begin – the VNL Finals. The eight teams that had made it to the finals this year were all well-known world-class teams. In theory, each team had the chance to stand on the podium, so let’s wait and see.
What the article didn’t mention was the only drawback to this competition: the recent prevalence of a lung illness in the United States. While it hasn’t yet spread to Illinois, where the competition was taking place, the athletes were being cautious. Some of the players, led by the Brazilian team, had prepared masks.
Despite their lively entrances, several teams had put on masks after entering the venue. After all, athletes rely on their bodies for their profession. Coach Mars, with his rich experience, had seen numerous instances of athletes missing matches due to illness in his lifetime. He was the first to buy masks.
Coach Mars was not only mature and composed but also highly perceptive. It was said that his acute senses come from his father’s experiences fighting as a guerrilla alongside Che Guevara and his family had a long history.
The Chinese team was also wearing masks. Due to a viral cold, Aizimaiti’s urine samples, test results, and medication had all been reported to WADA.
Other teams also had players with colds, but they hadn’t gone to the extent of immediately sending people to hospitals for infection checks like the Chinese team. They had simply been given medication to rest and handed their urine samples to on-site WADA officials.
Interestingly, half of the teams participating in VNL in the United States had fallen ill. It was unclear whether the tight schedule of VNL or the difference in environment was the cause. Even the American team had members who were sick, most likely due to the transmission of the lung illness.
During warm-up, both the Chinese and Brazilian teams kept their masks on. This led the fans who came to watch the China vs. Brazil match to speculate about who among the players was wearing a mask.
Excluding Qin Chunxiao and Dominique, who were easily recognizable due to their height difference, and Fu Biyang, who stood out as the darkest among them, Qin Chunxiao suddenly remembered something and asked Li Ling, “Did you see Dongzi’s younger brother over here?”
Li Ling: “Yes.”
Qin Chunxiao quickly sent a message to Yashenka and took out a mask from his sports bag. Feeling that the mask was too light to be thrown accurately, he borrowed medical tape from Wang Yan and stuck it together with a bottle of water, imitating a basketball shot.
Seated in the front row, Lu Xuandong raised his hands and steadily caught the mask and bottled water. Qin Chunxiao made a gesture for him to put on the mask.
Newton clicked his tongue and said, “Our Dundun doesn’t hide anything. With my experience, those two have a situation.”
Jiang Xiaohai said, “Brother Newton, focus on the game, okay? You’re a coach!”
Furthermore, considering their personalities, if Dundu had any thoughts, he would definitely express them candidly.
Newton chuckled and raised the tactical board, “Kids, get ready!”
Meanwhile, viewers watching the live stream online were commenting:
“That someone looks like… Lu Xuandong, right?”
“Lu Dong is awesome; he’s gone to watch the VNL Finals live again.”
“Is there some kind of infectious disease in the United States? Why do I see several teams wearing masks? Aren’t they being overly cautious?”
“Oh my, the smile on Lu Dong’s face when he received the mask and water… I’ve never seen him smile like that before when he was in the scene. How should I describe it? In the past, he used to smile with the corners of his mouth slightly up, very polite, but there wasn’t much happiness. ‘Eyebrows and eyes smiling’ is a description that definitely can’t be applied to him, but now his happiness seems more genuine.”
“Lu Dong has become even more handsome. By the way, every time he appears on screen with me, he looks especially handsome. Is it because he smiles more genuinely when he’s with me?”
Lu Yunchen was sitting in the venue of Russian-Iran would be played, at this moment Yashenka walked to the audience and waved to him.
Lu Yunchen pointed at himself “Me?”
Yashenka, “Yes. You, come here.”
Lu Yunchen squeezed over and complained, “You are beckoning me like you’re beckoning a dog”
Yashenka didn’t say anything, he just handed him a mask. “Put this on. There’s been an outbreak of respiratory illness in North America recently. If you get infected and have a fever, it’ll be difficult for you to enter the country when you return, and you might get stuck at immigration.”
As a doctor, Yashenka’s words were quite practical. Lu Yunchen quickly put on the mask with bright eyes, appearing eager for praise. Yashenka turned and walked away.
Lu Yunchen: “Doctor Yashenka is determined not to let me down, not even a bit of fantasy.”
Other members of the Russian team were equally convinced by Yashenka’s words, and they all came to him asking for masks.
At the same time, the match between the Chinese and Brazilian teams finally began.
It was destined to be a flashy match.
As a mature team, the Brazilian team had a complete lineup – spikers, setters, opposite hitters – with a deep bench and a variety of tactics. Coached by Mars, their tactics sometimes changed so fast that it left the audience bewildered.
Coach Mars was crafty, and so was Coach Newton. To deal with the Brazilian team, Newton didn’t make Dundun his defensive core this time. Instead, he let Du Xiaofeng play as a libero, while Qin Chunxiao, Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, and Tong Shulan stood together on the attacking side, with Li Ling playing setter.
Ever since Li Ling improved his setting accuracy in the Russian Super League and showcased his creative thinking that often eluded his opponents, he had taken on more of an offensive role as a setter. With a good performance, he was starting to edge Ding Rong toward the substitute bench.
As Li Ling grew, Ding Rong had also become more like an experienced fox on the court. Both Li Ling and Ding Rong were setter-hitters who excelled in both offense and defense. They had a high level of cooperation with their teammates and could play with different rhythms and styles. By rotating between them, it made it difficult for opponents to predict their strategies.
Newton alternated between Li Ling and Ding Rong in this match, aiming to disrupt Brazil’s attacking rhythm. Yes, the setters were the core of the Chinese team today!
“Why did Qin Chunxiao enter the court?” someone wondered.
Newton explained, “Dun Dun has the best synergy with Li Ling among all the spikers in the world. During the All-China Games, the two of them scored countless points together for the Guangdong team.”
Qin Chunxiao’s role was to assist. If Li Ling’s play was erratic, he would make adjustments to the attack. If Du Xiaofeng’s defense faltered, he would cover for him.
Luckily, Li Ling lived up to expectations. Right from the start, he scored a point with a second attack amid the cluster of Chinese spikers.
Qiao Mingming, Fu Biyang, Tong Shulan: “…”
Qin Chunxiao: “Used to it.”
Fortunately, Li Ling only played like this once. Afterward, he returned to his role as the commanding tower on the court. Previously, Li Ling’s uniqueness lay in not sticking to tactics, which made both the enemy and his teammates unable to anticipate his moves. However, back then, Li Ling’s mastery of tactics wasn’t as refined as that of the experienced setters Mao Xunfeng and Ding Rong. So, when he tried imaginative maneuvers, opponents often exploited his vulnerabilities. Hence, he could only be a wild card.
But now, Li Ling was different. He was approaching a level 90 player, and he had made up for his tactical weaknesses. Under the guidance of coaches Chen Aiguo, Newton, and Nikolai, he had honed his fundamentals to a solid level. It wasn’t easy to exploit his weaknesses anymore.
What followed surprised everyone. For the first time in history, the Chinese team was evenly matched with the Brazilian team.
In the past, China’s strategy had revolved around Qin Chunxiao’s defensive core and counterattacks. Qin Chunxiao had to do everything he could to receive balls that seemed impossible to reach by others’ standards. This forced Brazil’s efficiency in scoring points to drop, creating opportunities for victory.
This time, the Chinese team displayed the same offensive efficiency as Brazil.
Even the Brazilian team hadn’t expected China to be this powerful today. To put it bluntly, it was like a group of hungry wolves being released from a cage after being confined for three days and nights, now hunting with intensity.
Mars: “Hmm, they’re channeling the frustration from that loss in Australia station today.”
Teams sometimes depended on their fighting spirit, but that spirit couldn’t be maintained 365 days a year. Therefore, good coaches chose to keep their players’ energy in check and unleash it on more crucial occasions.
For the Chinese team, the VNL Finals were indeed one of the most critical moments of the year.
Before the match, Newton told his players, “We’ve lost to the Brazilian team again and again. It’s time to turn the tide. You’ve honed your fundamentals, and you have so many reliable teammates. If you don’t win now, when will you?”
In the first set, China narrowly won 25-23.
Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, Mars quickly adjusted his tactics, deploying the ultimate coaching strategy – giving that cursed ball to Dominique!
The best way to deal with flashy tactics was a strong attack from a high point, allowing the towering, smart, and tactful beast to block and spike from unreachable heights!
The Russian team had previously used this strategy against the Brazilian team’s Roman, and now, with the addition of Dominik, Brazil could do the same.
China was slow to respond to this change and lost the second set to Brazil. However, Newton remained unfazed. He also adjusted his lineup, subbing in Kong Duojin for Du Xiaofeng.
“Xiao Jin, you and Xiao Ji block at the net. Li Ling, seize every opportunity to initiate attacks. Ready Xiaozi!” Newton looked at Qin Chunxiao, who gave a thumbs-up.
Newton also unleashed his ultimate move – having my dear Dun catch that cursed ball!
“Kids, a few years ago, people called the Chinese men’s volleyball team weak, losing here and there. Among the VNL member countries, we were at the bottom. Even the second teams of strong teams gave us a hard time. In Asia, Iran, Australia, and Japan could beat us. We were all feeling frustrated back then.”
“When the coach took over the national team, our leadership asked me, ‘When can we restore our reputation?’ Now I can answer him. It’s today, it’s right now!”
Newton’s passionate speech stirred up the players, and they responded with loud cheers.
Not far away, Mars looked at the notebook on the seat behind Newton. He remembered that he, Nikolai, and other coaches also had a notebook where they recorded motivational phrases. Suddenly, he realized something – Newton was skilled. Today, he, Old Mars, had met a worthy opponent.
In the third set, Qin Chunxiao once again stood opposite Dominique.
He slightly lowered his upper body, ready to sprint or dive at any moment. His footsteps followed his teammates without pause, resembling a silent guardian accompanying a wolf pack on a hunt.
Dominique was both the prey of the wolf pack and a formidable adversary capable of inflicting the most damage on them.
As the towering giant, standing nearly 2.2 meters, prepared to spike the ball from a high position, aiming for a classic downward smash, Qin Chunxiao lifted his left foot and kicked the ball into Li Ling’s hands.
