China's Women's Volleyball Team Faces Injury Crisis Ahead of VNL

The Chinese women’s team were in the midst of an injury crisis after key members pulled out of the coming Volleyball Nations League (VNL), prompting fans to question the high-intensity training associated with the so-called “women’s volleyball spirit”. Just one week before the first stop of the VNL in Nanjing, head coach Zhao Yong admitted that injuries were hampering preparations. In a recent interview, Zhao confirmed that 23-year-old rising outside hitter Wu Mengjie required knee surgery due to a training injury and would miss the entire tournament. Wu was China’s leading attacker in last year’s VNL, averaging 18.92 points per match. Another key outside hitter, Li Yingying, remained in Tianjin for rehabilitation following a severe right ankle injury sustained during the 2025 domestic league playoffs, failing to reach match fitness despite her inclusion in the 30-player VNL team. Young opposite hitter Ji Yuxiao also left the squad due to injury, ruling her out of the coming campaign.