China's women's volleyball team finished 4th at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League with an 8-loss streak, the worst rank in team history. The under-23 young squad will adjust tactics for upcoming Asian Championship.
1–3: The Chinese women’s volleyball team lost to their opponents, suffering yet another defeat.
The World League campaign has come to a close, with the Chinese women’s volleyball team finishing in fourth place. Their record of eight consecutive losses marked the team’s worst-ever finish in the World League, resulting in a direct deduction of 24 points from their tournament standings.With an average age of just under 23, the team had only recently completed the process of adjusting and gelling with its new lineup. Standing in a corner on the podium, they ultimately fell short of the bronze medal.
The spirit instilled by the veteran women’s volleyball team has always been cherished by the public; now that the new players have just taken up the torch, they are bound to encounter trial and error and face setbacks as they grow.
No one will forget the muffled thud of the Turkish team’s spiker’s powerful spike hitting the court floor during the 2023 World League final, nor will anyone forget the moment when the young players on the sidelines clenched and then slowly unclenched their fists as the final point was scored against Italy, then ranked No. 1 in the world.As one of the few veterans on the team, Wang Mengjie blended in among this group of young players, accompanying the team through all the ups and downs of the entire tournament—from the opening match of the World League to the final whistle.The entire team’s total prize money for this tournament amounted to just $180,000; the $300,000 prize originally allocated for the bronze medal ultimately slipped through their fingers.
At present, the public has no clear information regarding Wang Mengjie’s exact annual salary. The compensation for members of the Chinese women’s national volleyball team is always directly tied to the outcomes of individual matches, the team’s overall performance, and the results achieved in each contest; it is not arbitrarily determined by any single subjective factor.
Next, the team will prepare for the Asian Championships. The coaching staff is already exploring potential tactical adjustments, including experimenting with a two-libero lineup and awaiting the return of the team’s key spiker from injury. Each adjustment is being made steadily, step by step, as if feeling their way forward.
The recent public discussion surrounding Wang Mengjie’s annual salary is not, at its core, simply about the specific amount.
This group of young women, with an average age of less than 23, braved the pressure of an eight-game losing streak to see out the entire season. They gritted their teeth to adjust their tactics and get back on track. Their tenacity—their willingness to accept defeat, fight hard, and return to the court—is far more worthy of attention than any individual annual salary figure.
The Chinese women’s volleyball team never lets a few losses get them down; the fighting spirit passed down from the older generations of the team is always present in these young players.
Many fans of the women’s volleyball team have recently been discussing exactly where the team’s biggest weakness lies at the moment.
