The volleyball landed on Qin Chunxiao’s arm, and with a gentle lift from his shoulders, he accurately sent the ball to Li Ling. Li Ling leaped up, lightly tapped the ball, and it landed on the opposing team’s court.
Each team is allowed only three hits in a rally, and the third hit, if the first pass is set to the second pass, and the second pass is directly attacked, it is called a second ball attack, which is considered an essential skill to master.
However, the prerequisite for using this tactic is that the first pass must be of high quality. If the first pass is not good, the second pass won’t be effective for an attack.
Qin Chunxiao’s first pass was extremely precise, reaching Li Ling at the perfect spot for him to spike the ball effortlessly. Li Ling’s attack was smooth and comfortable, just like Qin Chunxiao’s earlier second pass. It was truly impressive!
At this point, the score reached 3-2, with the provincial youth team leading by one point. Li Ling turned around and gave Qin Chunxiao a thumbs-up.
“Good brother, I know I can always rely on you.”
The Bashu team was surprised by this.
Coincidence?
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s not a coincidence.”
It wasn’t a coincidence because Qin Chunxiao’s receiving and passing skills were top-notch in China.
In the three-hit sequence, the first pass is the responsibility of the player who receives the initial ball. They have to face the opponent’s attack and, within a fraction of a second, accurately redirect the ball with their bodies to a position suitable for the second pass.
With the advancement of men’s volleyball technology, the high-point attack and blocking system has become more powerful. However, the first-pass technique has not kept up, resulting in a situation where the men’s volleyball team “scores with one ball” due to fewer back-and-forth exchanges.
The legendary Brazilian coach, Old Man Mars, has trained several players with strong offensive abilities, some even reaching the SSR and UR levels. However, he has never encountered a magical card in defense. Nevertheless, he knows very well how important a skilled passer is to a team.
As long as the ball doesn’t hit the ground, a team can create a miracle comeback.
If the men’s volleyball team’s first pass and the Libero’s digging skills can match the offensive abilities of the power hitters, it will further enhance the excitement of this sport, benefiting the development of the entire project.
Both teams completed a round of serves. This time, the Bashu team’s server happened to be their trump card. He was in a scorching state, delivering a shot with a tricky angle, great force, and a high speed of 130 km/h.
Everyone thought that Province G wouldn’t be able to receive it, but Qin Chunxiao had already reacted the moment the ball touched the opponent’s hand. His gray-blue eyes, like those of a wolf, were fixed on the volleyball. His explosive power, acquired from sprinting, propelled him forward. Before anyone could react, he slid on his knees. Although he was facing away from Li Ling, he accurately pushed the ball in Li Ling’s direction.
It was an incredibly precise back set, and Qin Chunxiao saved the ball from the back row, quite far from Li Ling. Yet, the pass was still spot-on, demonstrating his exceptional spatial awareness.
Chen Aiguo stood up excitedly and exclaimed, “Beautiful!”
In the auditorium, Jiang Xiaohai widened his eyes in surprise. “Yes, that ball was saved.”
The reaction time and explosive power were clearly visible to the naked eye. Qin Chunxiao’s effort in catching the ball and his serious attitude towards the game were also evident.
Which coach wouldn’t appreciate a player who makes desperate saves and displays a positive attitude?
Meanwhile, Mo Lin received the ball from Li Ling. Mo Lin leaped and executed a spike. Two opponents immediately jumped to block the ball. Just as it was about to hit the ground, Qin Chunxiao quickly rolled towards the front row. Yes, he rolled! What’s more, he rolled through the gap between his teammates’ feet, narrowly avoiding being trampled by those big guys who weighed at least 80 kilograms. The ball landed on the back of his hand, and Qin Chunxiao made another save!
It was a desperate ball save technique, using the palm of the hand to shovel the ball on the ground and catch it when it fell low.
This time the save was rushed, and Liu Kairui, the deputy attacker, hurriedly helped Qin Chunxiao to his feet. Meanwhile, Li Ling executed a direct spike, causing one of the opposing players to go out of bounds.
Score!
The main attacker of the Bashu team exclaimed, “He’s a god! Can’t we kill him?”
With a proud smile, Qin Chunxiao gritted his teeth and climbed up. Even though he was wearing knee pads, no one knows the feeling of wiping the floor with their knees. The internal training competitions in G Province were just as intense. There’s no room for concern about image or pain when saving high-speed heavy balls. No matter how you dive, crawl, and roll, there’s bound to be some bumps along the way.
But as long as he thinks about how those powerful aces can’t defeat his team no matter how hard they try and can’t score points despite their efforts, he feels immensely proud.
In the world of volleyball, the sense of accomplishment from making a crucial save is no less than scoring a powerful spike oneself, even if Li Ling scores and ends up being the only one lying on the ground while the audience cheers.
At this moment, Li Ling rushed over and exclaimed, “Brother Xiao, that was awesome!”
Li Xiaoping, another assistant attacker, also looked at him with admiration. “Incredible, Brother Xiao.”
Qin Chunxiao grandly waved his hand. “It’s nothing, just a routine operation. Don’t all liberos dive and slide like this?”
Wait a minute, he’s not a libero anymore, is he?
He turned his head and glared at Zhou Ziming. “Be active in saving the ball, move! Others can slide and dive in the front row to save balls in the back row. How come you, a libero standing in the back row, can’t react as fast as me?”
Don’t be fooled by Qin Chunxiao’s squinted eyes and smiling face. When his expression turns cold, those wolf-like eyes can be quite intimidating. Zhou Ziming’s back instantly went cold, and he immediately stood up straight.
“Yes!”
Qin Chunxiao has one advantage: he will stare back when others stare at him. If the opponents dare to treat him as an easy target, he will adopt the mindset of being a second passer.
Bashu team setter: But what did I do wrong?
He signaled for a timeout to Lao Chen. Lao Chen raised his eyebrows, stood up, and called for a timeout from the referee.
The players gathered around the coach. Qin Chunxiao picked up the tactical board and pointed at the second position. “Their setters may look tall, but they don’t move fast. When they hit the ball too hard, they can’t handle it. Li Ling, adjust the rhythm, pass the ball to me later, and I’ll make a second pass from the opposite side.”
Li Xiaoping, the second hitter, was an obedient player. Qin Chunxiao looked at him and said, “The opposing team’s main attacker is skilled at timing and hitting the ball into the empty spots. We practiced this in the training match. How can you let me deceive you? How can you prevent him? Mo Lin, Liu Kairui, you have a height advantage. If the opponents dare to spike, block them!”
Seeing the three nodding seriously, Qin Chunxiao turned to Zhou Ziming and Wang Zhang. “Stay in the back row.”
Zhou Ziming and Wang Zhang: “Okay.”
The players were as puzzled as the coaches. Looking at Coach Qin, Chen Aiguo cleared his throat and added, “Strengthen the defense. It’s a fact that our offensive ability isn’t as good as the opponents’. So we should focus on strong defense. As long as our defense holds up, we can grind it out and win!”
Qin Chunxiao stretched out his hand. “Let’s do it!”
The players placed their hands on his palm.
“Let’s go!”
Fight to the end!
In reality, Province G had decent first-pass and defensive skills. After Qin Chunxiao joined the team, individual training became part of their routine, with the frequency significantly increased. This was mainly due to a former libero god trained by Mars, who always asked the head coach for more defensive drills.
He said, “Originally, our team lacked tall attackers. Li Ling is the only one, and he’s developing an aggressive style, but his skills haven’t reached the level where he can dominate the opponent. Can we rely on round trips for every game?”
Chen Aiguo listened to these words. Although this little old man didn’t have much experience with SSR training, he was willing to listen to the players’ thoughts.
So, as long as we tightly hold on to first touch and the libero, we won’t be an easy team to beat.
Then, Qin the libero and Qin the coach temporarily went offline, while Qin the main attacker went online and began targeting the weak defense of the second passer.
As a man who can play as the main attacker for the provincial team at a height of 1.8 meters, Qin Chunxiao is skilled at finding defensive weaknesses. He served to the main attacker, forcing them to receive the ball.
People feel not sure how he played, but they didn’t see anyone spiking the ball so hard. The ball’s speed didn’t exceed 60, yet even when it landed in open space, it was difficult to block. It pierced through the weak point of the defense like a needle. The Bashu team’s libero also attempted to tackle the ball, but they missed.
Qin Chunxiao: Let me demonstrate the deep-fried dough stick style of play to you.
The so-called deep-fried dough stick play, also known as the health-preserving play, involves not smashing the ball if you can shoot it, saving energy and preserving your body. It’s a highly confrontational style.
Regarding this point, Yang Lan, who has retired, can share his experience: I think Xiaozai can continue playing this way until he’s 40 years old.
Qin Chunxiao: If I lightly tap the gap, it’s worth one point. If you spike the ball, it’s still just one point. It’s all the same. Who’s nobler than the other?
Fu Biyang, who happened to be out of the game, sat in the auditorium and was overjoyed. “Hey, he’s doing it again.”
Qin Chunxiao has a high volleyball game awareness, and everyone who has played with him can feel it. But Fu Biyang’s teammates can’t laugh because they sympathize with the Bashu team. Just the thought of Qin Chunxiao, who was almost pissed off when he made a mistake, makes them want to stand up and cheer for the Bashu team.
It was the first time the Bashu team encountered this style of play in men’s volleyball. They were furious and unable to defend against it, allowing Qin Chunxiao to score another 7 points.
In fact, the most frustrating thing for them was the first pass and the libero. After all, Qin Chunxiao is a left-hander, and when he sends the ball to a teammate for a second pass or attack, it occasionally floats out of bounds. It’s like having a thug on the other side who’s constantly going out.
When they finally got used to it, Qin Chunxiao started his attacks! The Bashu team had to readjust to Qin’s main offensive plays.
This is the advantage of being versatile and having various playing styles. Qin Chunxiao also enjoyed power spiking when he was younger, but being shorter made it exhausting and prone to injuries. Now, with Li Ling and Mo Lin in the attack, he can focus on setting up and hanging beside them. In the second half of the third game, he disrupted the opponent’s rhythm. In the fourth game, the coach of the Bashu team directly replaced the setter who no longer knew how to handle the ball.
It wasn’t easy for this guy; he was specifically targeted by the deep-fried dough stick style, so he had to step down and readjust his mentality.
One of Fu Biyang’s teammates said to him at this time, “Fortunately, Xiaozai didn’t mess with you in the game.”
(小灾) literally translates to “small disaster”
Fu Biyang also breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that it was because in his previous life, he had a direct fight with Qin Chunxiao after being teased like this. Otherwise, he would have been played during the training match.
Jiang Xiaohai observed and smiled, “He’s good at creating opportunities.”
This little men’s volleyball team is well aware of his physical disadvantages. He may not be as tall as others, and his strength may not match that of bigger guys, but no matter how hard he trains, he excels at game awareness. He uses his excellent predictive abilities to judge the opponent’s defensive position and accurately place the ball in the defensive gap.
He recorded in his notebook: “Good reaction time and spatial awareness. Plays with intelligence and shows excellent explosive power when saving the ball.”
Moreover, Qin Chunxiao participates in blocking at the net. He has good predictions and timing. Others may not have noticed, but Qin Chunxiao’s blocking score has reached double digits, which is on par with some secondary attackers.
With Qin Chunxiao’s amazing playing style and the overall defensive transformation of the entire G provincial youth team, they caught the Bashu team off guard in the first U21 match. The game ended 3:1, and the G provincial youth team emerged victorious!
A big team miraculously defeated the traditional first-line team!
The volleyball landed on Qin Chunxiao’s arm, and with a gentle lift from his shoulders, he accurately sent the ball to Li Ling. Li Ling leaped up, lightly tapped the ball, and it landed on the opposing team’s court.
Each team is allowed only three hits in a rally, and the third hit, if the first pass is set to the second pass, and the second pass is directly attacked, it is called a second ball attack, which is considered an essential skill to master.
However, the prerequisite for using this tactic is that the first pass must be of high quality. If the first pass is not good, the second pass won’t be effective for an attack.
Qin Chunxiao’s first pass was extremely precise, reaching Li Ling at the perfect spot for him to spike the ball effortlessly. Li Ling’s attack was smooth and comfortable, just like Qin Chunxiao’s earlier second pass. It was truly impressive!
At this point, the score reached 3-2, with the provincial youth team leading by one point. Li Ling turned around and gave Qin Chunxiao a thumbs-up.
“Good brother, I know I can always rely on you.”
The Bashu team was surprised by this.
Coincidence?
Qin Chunxiao replied, “It’s not a coincidence.”
It wasn’t a coincidence because Qin Chunxiao’s receiving and passing skills were top-notch in China.
In the three-hit sequence, the first pass is the responsibility of the player who receives the initial ball. They have to face the opponent’s attack and, within a fraction of a second, accurately redirect the ball with their bodies to a position suitable for the second pass.
With the advancement of men’s volleyball technology, the high-point attack and blocking system has become more powerful. However, the first-pass technique has not kept up, resulting in a situation where the men’s volleyball team “scores with one ball” due to fewer back-and-forth exchanges.
The legendary Brazilian coach, Old Man Mars, has trained several players with strong offensive abilities, some even reaching the SSR and UR levels. However, he has never encountered a magical card in defense. Nevertheless, he knows very well how important a skilled passer is to a team.
As long as the ball doesn’t hit the ground, a team can create a miracle comeback.
If the men’s volleyball team’s first pass and the Libero’s digging skills can match the offensive abilities of the power hitters, it will further enhance the excitement of this sport, benefiting the development of the entire project.
Both teams completed a round of serves. This time, the Bashu team’s server happened to be their trump card. He was in a scorching state, delivering a shot with a tricky angle, great force, and a high speed of 130 km/h.
Everyone thought that Province G wouldn’t be able to receive it, but Qin Chunxiao had already reacted the moment the ball touched the opponent’s hand. His gray-blue eyes, like those of a wolf, were fixed on the volleyball. His explosive power, acquired from sprinting, propelled him forward. Before anyone could react, he slid on his knees. Although he was facing away from Li Ling, he accurately pushed the ball in Li Ling’s direction.
It was an incredibly precise back set, and Qin Chunxiao saved the ball from the back row, quite far from Li Ling. Yet, the pass was still spot-on, demonstrating his exceptional spatial awareness.
Chen Aiguo stood up excitedly and exclaimed, “Beautiful!”
In the auditorium, Jiang Xiaohai widened his eyes in surprise. “Yes, that ball was saved.”
The reaction time and explosive power were clearly visible to the naked eye. Qin Chunxiao’s effort in catching the ball and his serious attitude towards the game were also evident.
Which coach wouldn’t appreciate a player who makes desperate saves and displays a positive attitude?
Meanwhile, Mo Lin received the ball from Li Ling. Mo Lin leaped and executed a spike. Two opponents immediately jumped to block the ball. Just as it was about to hit the ground, Qin Chunxiao quickly rolled towards the front row. Yes, he rolled! What’s more, he rolled through the gap between his teammates’ feet, narrowly avoiding being trampled by those big guys who weighed at least 80 kilograms. The ball landed on the back of his hand, and Qin Chunxiao made another save!
It was a desperate ball save technique, using the palm of the hand to shovel the ball on the ground and catch it when it fell low.
This time the save was rushed, and Liu Kairui, the deputy attacker, hurriedly helped Qin Chunxiao to his feet. Meanwhile, Li Ling executed a direct spike, causing one of the opposing players to go out of bounds.
Score!
The main attacker of the Bashu team exclaimed, “He’s a god! Can’t we kill him?”
With a proud smile, Qin Chunxiao gritted his teeth and climbed up. Even though he was wearing knee pads, no one knows the feeling of wiping the floor with their knees. The internal training competitions in G Province were just as intense. There’s no room for concern about image or pain when saving high-speed heavy balls. No matter how you dive, crawl, and roll, there’s bound to be some bumps along the way.
But as long as he thinks about how those powerful aces can’t defeat his team no matter how hard they try and can’t score points despite their efforts, he feels immensely proud.
In the world of volleyball, the sense of accomplishment from making a crucial save is no less than scoring a powerful spike oneself, even if Li Ling scores and ends up being the only one lying on the ground while the audience cheers.
At this moment, Li Ling rushed over and exclaimed, “Brother Xiao, that was awesome!”
Li Xiaoping, another assistant attacker, also looked at him with admiration. “Incredible, Brother Xiao.”
Qin Chunxiao grandly waved his hand. “It’s nothing, just a routine operation. Don’t all liberos dive and slide like this?”
Wait a minute, he’s not a libero anymore, is he?
He turned his head and glared at Zhou Ziming. “Be active in saving the ball, move! Others can slide and dive in the front row to save balls in the back row. How come you, a libero standing in the back row, can’t react as fast as me?”
Don’t be fooled by Qin Chunxiao’s squinted eyes and smiling face. When his expression turns cold, those wolf-like eyes can be quite intimidating. Zhou Ziming’s back instantly went cold, and he immediately stood up straight.
“Yes!”
Qin Chunxiao has one advantage: he will stare back when others stare at him. If the opponents dare to treat him as an easy target, he will adopt the mindset of being a second passer.
Bashu team setter: But what did I do wrong?
He signaled for a timeout to Lao Chen. Lao Chen raised his eyebrows, stood up, and called for a timeout from the referee.
The players gathered around the coach. Qin Chunxiao picked up the tactical board and pointed at the second position. “Their setters may look tall, but they don’t move fast. When they hit the ball too hard, they can’t handle it. Li Ling, adjust the rhythm, pass the ball to me later, and I’ll make a second pass from the opposite side.”
Li Xiaoping, the second hitter, was an obedient player. Qin Chunxiao looked at him and said, “The opposing team’s main attacker is skilled at timing and hitting the ball into the empty spots. We practiced this in the training match. How can you let me deceive you? How can you prevent him? Mo Lin, Liu Kairui, you have a height advantage. If the opponents dare to spike, block them!”
Seeing the three nodding seriously, Qin Chunxiao turned to Zhou Ziming and Wang Zhang. “Stay in the back row.”
Zhou Ziming and Wang Zhang: “Okay.”
The players were as puzzled as the coaches. Looking at Coach Qin, Chen Aiguo cleared his throat and added, “Strengthen the defense. It’s a fact that our offensive ability isn’t as good as the opponents’. So we should focus on strong defense. As long as our defense holds up, we can grind it out and win!”
Qin Chunxiao stretched out his hand. “Let’s do it!”
The players placed their hands on his palm.
“Let’s go!”
Fight to the end!
In reality, Province G had decent first-pass and defensive skills. After Qin Chunxiao joined the team, individual training became part of their routine, with the frequency significantly increased. This was mainly due to a former libero god trained by Mars, who always asked the head coach for more defensive drills.
He said, “Originally, our team lacked tall attackers. Li Ling is the only one, and he’s developing an aggressive style, but his skills haven’t reached the level where he can dominate the opponent. Can we rely on round trips for every game?”
Chen Aiguo listened to these words. Although this little old man didn’t have much experience with SSR training, he was willing to listen to the players’ thoughts.
So, as long as we tightly hold on to first touch and the libero, we won’t be an easy team to beat.
Then, Qin the libero and Qin the coach temporarily went offline, while Qin the main attacker went online and began targeting the weak defense of the second passer.
As a man who can play as the main attacker for the provincial team at a height of 1.8 meters, Qin Chunxiao is skilled at finding defensive weaknesses. He served to the main attacker, forcing them to receive the ball.
People feel not sure how he played, but they didn’t see anyone spiking the ball so hard. The ball’s speed didn’t exceed 60, yet even when it landed in open space, it was difficult to block. It pierced through the weak point of the defense like a needle. The Bashu team’s libero also attempted to tackle the ball, but they missed.
Qin Chunxiao: Let me demonstrate the deep-fried dough stick style of play to you.
The so-called deep-fried dough stick play, also known as the health-preserving play, involves not smashing the ball if you can shoot it, saving energy and preserving your body. It’s a highly confrontational style.
Regarding this point, Yang Lan, who has retired, can share his experience: I think Xiaozai can continue playing this way until he’s 40 years old.
Qin Chunxiao: If I lightly tap the gap, it’s worth one point. If you spike the ball, it’s still just one point. It’s all the same. Who’s nobler than the other?
Fu Biyang, who happened to be out of the game, sat in the auditorium and was overjoyed. “Hey, he’s doing it again.”
Qin Chunxiao has a high volleyball game awareness, and everyone who has played with him can feel it. But Fu Biyang’s teammates can’t laugh because they sympathize with the Bashu team. Just the thought of Qin Chunxiao, who was almost pissed off when he made a mistake, makes them want to stand up and cheer for the Bashu team.
It was the first time the Bashu team encountered this style of play in men’s volleyball. They were furious and unable to defend against it, allowing Qin Chunxiao to score another 7 points.
In fact, the most frustrating thing for them was the first pass and the libero. After all, Qin Chunxiao is a left-hander, and when he sends the ball to a teammate for a second pass or attack, it occasionally floats out of bounds. It’s like having a thug on the other side who’s constantly going out.
When they finally got used to it, Qin Chunxiao started his attacks! The Bashu team had to readjust to Qin’s main offensive plays.
This is the advantage of being versatile and having various playing styles. Qin Chunxiao also enjoyed power spiking when he was younger, but being shorter made it exhausting and prone to injuries. Now, with Li Ling and Mo Lin in the attack, he can focus on setting up and hanging beside them. In the second half of the third game, he disrupted the opponent’s rhythm. In the fourth game, the coach of the Bashu team directly replaced the setter who no longer knew how to handle the ball.
It wasn’t easy for this guy; he was specifically targeted by the deep-fried dough stick style, so he had to step down and readjust his mentality.
One of Fu Biyang’s teammates said to him at this time, “Fortunately, Xiaozai didn’t mess with you in the game.”
(小灾) literally translates to “small disaster”
Fu Biyang also breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that it was because in his previous life, he had a direct fight with Qin Chunxiao after being teased like this. Otherwise, he would have been played during the training match.
Jiang Xiaohai observed and smiled, “He’s good at creating opportunities.”
This little men’s volleyball team is well aware of his physical disadvantages. He may not be as tall as others, and his strength may not match that of bigger guys, but no matter how hard he trains, he excels at game awareness. He uses his excellent predictive abilities to judge the opponent’s defensive position and accurately place the ball in the defensive gap.
He recorded in his notebook: “Good reaction time and spatial awareness. Plays with intelligence and shows excellent explosive power when saving the ball.”
Moreover, Qin Chunxiao participates in blocking at the net. He has good predictions and timing. Others may not have noticed, but Qin Chunxiao’s blocking score has reached double digits, which is on par with some secondary attackers.
With Qin Chunxiao’s amazing playing style and the overall defensive transformation of the entire G provincial youth team, they caught the Bashu team off guard in the first U21 match. The game ended 3:1, and the G provincial youth team emerged victorious!
A big team miraculously defeated the traditional first-line team!
