The poster of the film Leap

During the past four decades, China's national women's volleyball team has won many international championships. Numerous people around the world have been impressed by the team's miraculous "feats."

"The people love the Chinese women's volleyball team, not only because you have won the championships, but also because you have displayed the spirit of putting the motherland first, through unity, cooperation, tenacity and never giving up," said Chinese President Xi Jinping. He made the comments when he met the team's players and coaches on September 30, 2019. Two weeks earlier, the team had retained its crown with 11 straight wins in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, in Japan.

Inspired by the unyielding spirit of China's women's volleyball team, many Chinese are devoting their lives to promoting the realization of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

This is China's Women's Volleyball Team

Five Consecutive World Titles

China's national women's volleyball team competes in a match

China's national women's volleyball team won five consecutive world titles between 1981 and 1986. The following are those victories:

In 1981, China beat Japan to win the Third FIVB (International Volleyball Federation) Volleyball Women's World Cup, in Japan;

In 1982, China beat Peru to win the Ninth FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, in Peru;

In 1984, China beat the United States 3-0 to win a gold medal at the 23rd Olympic Games in Los Angeles, the US;

In 1985, China beat Cuba to win the Fourth FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, in Japan; and

In 1986, China beat Cuba to win the 10th FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, in former Czechoslovakia.

China was in the beginning stages of its reform and opening-up in the 1980s. The women's volleyball players' achievements, and their fighting spirit, encouraged Chinese to work hard, and to contribute to the nation's rejuvenation.

People's Daily in 1981 published an article that urged Chinese to learn from the women's volleyball players during the process of revitalizing the Chinese nation. It wrote, "Participating in the modernization construction, with the spirit of China's women's volleyball team, why should we worry that the modernization will not be realized?"

Cao Huiying became the team's first leader when the team was rebuilt in 1976. The team ranked fourth during the Second FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, in Japan, in 1977. Cao won three individual awards for her excellent performance. "I was not content with individual awards. What I wanted was the Chinese team to stand on top of the podium," she said.  

Under the leadership of then-head-coach Yuan Weimin, the volleyball players underwent intensive training, and they made concerted and strenuous efforts to win several consecutive world titles.

Since then, China's women's volleyball team has been seen as a flag bearer among Chinese sports teams for its tenacity and fighting spirit. As a spiritual symbol, the team has encouraged generations of Chinese to make achievements, and to contribute to the development of the nation.

Never Give Up

In 1986, several core players, including Lang Ping and Liang Yan, retired. The team was at a low ebb from 1988 to 1996. With the rise of strong European teams, China's women's volleyball team no longer dominated global competitions.

The team ranked seventh during the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games, and finished second at both the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games and the 1998 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship.

In 2001, Chen Zhonghe became head coach of the team, and the team began taking on a new look. During the Athens Olympics, in 2004, China defeated Russia 3-2 to win the gold medal.

Despite facing challenges posed by the world's strong teams, China's women's volleyball team always overcomes obstacles, and keeps moving forward. In 2015, China beat Japan to win the 12th FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, in Japan. During the Rio Olympic Games, in 2016, China beat Serbia 3-1 to win its Third Olympic gold medal.

"We should believe in ourselves no matter what difficulties we meet. We must make 100 percent effort, even though there is only one percent hope. I think the spirit of China's women's volleyball team is actually a team spirit. That means we never give up when things get tough. Even if we lose, we don't give up fighting," Lang Ping, present head coach of the team, said.

'Our Goal is to Raise the National Flag and Play the National Anthem'

On September 29, 2019, China's women's volleyball team defended its World Cup crown with a perfect record of 11 straight wins. It was China's 10th title in world major volleyball events, including the World Cup, the World Championships and the Olympic Games. That was a fantastic way to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

"In each game, our goal is to raise the national flag and play the national anthem," Lang said. Her words went viral on China's social media platforms. Though times have changed, patriotism is always deep in people's hearts, and is passed down from generation to generation.

The team's outstanding achievements have inspired enthusiastic patriotism in China, and also enhanced national confidence and the sense of pride in all Chinese.

More than 30 years ago, the spirit of the women's volleyball team greatly inspired Chinese athletes, and ordinary people, to strive for the rise of the Chinese nation. Now, the spirit of the team still touches people across the country. The unyielding spirit the team has demonstrated in fighting for the glory of the motherland through united and coordinated efforts is unfading.

From 'Iron Hammer' to Head Coach

Lang is the first Chinese to win Olympic volleyball gold medals as both a player and a coach, and she continues to lead women's volleyball team to a new level.

Lang, who was ace spiker, has long been referred to as the "Iron Hammer." As the head coach, Lang rekindled national pride by leading the team to the 2015 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup and the gold medal in 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Lang has witnessed the development of the team during the past four decades. She is thought to be both the inheritor and symbol of team's spirit.

"The spirit of China's women's volleyball team is not about winning the championship. It is about trying your utmost, even though you know you may not win. When you stumble, keep the faith. Life is not about winning, but about trying to win," Lang said.

'Sowing a Seed' in Students' Hearts

Chen Zhan, former member of China's national women's volleyball team, who plays former national team captain Sun Jinfang in the film Leap

"I work as a teacher with Nanjing Normal University. In this post, I hope to continue making efforts to help advance the development of volleyball in China," Chen says. She believes playing volleyball makes her strong.

Chen was selected to join the State-level children's volleyball team and youth volleyball team, several times, when she was a young player. She used to win the individual awards of "best first pass," "best defender," "best libero" and "most valuable player" during youth volleyball world championships.

She was greatly encouraged, in 2013, when she was selected a member of China's national women's volleyball team. At that time, Chen was in a "bottleneck" period, and she had planned to retire. To her surprise, she passed the selection process, and she was named to the national team coached by Lang Ping.

"Our coach, Lang, gave opportunities to some volleyball players, who seemed unlikely to be selected to join our national team. She encouraged us to compete on the world stage, and to keep improving our skills. Because of her, I cherished very much the opportunities I gained to represent my home country in competitions on the world stage," Chen recalled.

In 2014, Chen was on the Chinese team that competed in the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, held in Italy, and eventually ranked second. Chen said it was the best experience she had when she was a member of the national team.

Last year, Chen participated in the filming of Leap, a Chinese biographical sports drama directed by Peter Chan. The film follows several generations of Chinese women's volleyball players as they attempt to win glory for the country. Chen played the role of Sun, who used to be the captain of China's national team, and who played in the position of second pass. Chen learned more stories about China's women's volleyball team when Lang, Sun and players of their age were the team's main force. "Sun was a setter, while I was a libero when I was on the national team. Our positions were different, so the skills we mastered were different as well. Playing Sun was a big challenge for me," Chen explains. Still, she treasured the opportunity to play the role of a team leader, which also gave her an unforgettable experience of winning — in the film — the world championship.

Many of Chen's students are curious about her experiences as a member of the national team, and when she took part in shooting the film. In her classes, Chen tells her students about her daily life with her former teammates. "My students know our national team has gained many awards in competitions. But they may not know about the hardships that the team's players have gone through during practices over the years," Chen says. That is why she likes to share with students the daily practice timetable, and contents, when she was on the national team. She hopes her students will understand why China's women's volleyball team achieved so much.

"To strive for each score during a game, and to never give up before the volleyball touches the ground." Chen says that is the spirit she learned from China's women's volleyball team. "I want to 'sow a seed' of this spirit in my students' hearts. Some of them will become teachers after they graduate from college. They will pass the spirit to their students as well. I think this will be the best way to inherit the spirit of our women's volleyball team," Chen says.

Moved to Tears

Luo Hui, former member of Fujian provincial women's volleyball team, who plays Zhou Xiaolan (a former member of China's national women's volleyball team) in the film Leap

Luo was pleasantly surprised when she learned she had been chosen for a role in  Leap. When she asked several workers with the film studio why she "made the list" of the actresses, she received an interesting reply: "Because you look like a young woman during the 1980s."  

One day, in 2007, the coach of the volleyball team of Fujian Longyan Sports School went to Luo's middle school (in Fujian) to select members for his team. Luo, who was 176 centimeters tall, much taller than the average girls her age (13 years old), immediately caught the man's eyes. With the consent of her parents, Luo began studying in the sports school. Given her excellent performance, she was named a member of Fujian provincial women's volleyball team several years later.

Luo received a special gift — to play a role in Leap – as she was about to retire from the team in September 2019. By playing the role of Zhou, a starting middle blocker for the national team, Luo better understood the perseverance of the former members of China's national women's volleyball team in their pursuit of their lofty ideal — to win world championships. "The team's members once received training in a bamboo shed. As they repeatedly rolled on the ground, which was covered with sand, their wounds were stained with sand," says Luo.

She cried when the studio shot one particular scene — Sun (played by Chen Zhan) practiced catching the ball. Sun was out of breath as she ran around catching the ball being served by the coach, from all directions. "I had a similar experience with Sun, so I understood how hard she tried," recalls Luo.

Luo will never forget how grateful she felt when other actresses, who played the roles of her teammates (in the film), encouraged her to make greater efforts to play the part of Zhou well. Luo had a hard time showing Zhou's eagerness to score during the 1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup. With the actresses' help, Luo vividly created the image of Zhou on the silver screen.

By playing the role of Zhou, Luo realized her dreams of being named a member of the national team, and of winning the world championships (with her "teammates"). "After shooting the film, I learned to stay positive and to look on the bright side — don't let things get you down," says Luo.

Fierce Competition

Mao Wen, a physical education teacher with Changzhou University, who plays Cao Huiying (a former member of China's national women's volleyball team) in the film Leap

Mao was a member of the volleyball team of Nanjing University (in Jiangsu Province), when she was chosen to play Cao in the film. Born during the 1990s, Mao did not know much about Cao and her former teammates. Mao was impressed by the former women volleyball players' indomitable spirit when she watched the video of the women's volleyball final during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Under the guidance of then-head-coach Chen Zhonghe, the Chinese team defeated the Russians 3-2 to win the gold medal. It was the first time in 20 years that China won the Olympic Games. The Chinese team's previous success was in 1984, during the 23rd Olympic Games, held in Los Angeles.

Mao was secretly pleased when she joined her primary school's volleyball team, as she thought she could play while most of her schoolmates studied. However, she did not expect she had to receive "painful" training. For example, to keep her arms straight when she smashed the ball, the team's coach tied twigs to her arms. As she had to roll on the ground repeatedly, her skin was often covered with black and blue bruises.

After she became the ace spiker, Mao took pains to improve her volleyball-playing skills. However, when she participated in the shooting of Leap, she discovered her exercises were much less intense than those of the former women volleyball players.

Mao was impressed by the superb skills of the former members of Japan's national women's volleyball team, whom were invited by the studio to shoot the scene of the final of the 1981 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup (held in Osaka). The strong "opponents" inspired the Chinese actresses' will to fight, so the two parties competed fiercely during the game. The actresses felt as if they were the former Chinese women volleyball players.

"Cao played a critical role in the final. When she stepped onto the court in the fifth game, the score was 4-1 in Japan's favor. The two sides had fought to a draw during the previous four games. Like Cao, I was the former head of my university's volleyball team, and I had a similar experience with that of Cao. Therefore, I could understand how eagerly Cao wanted to help the Chinese team turn defeat into victory, and how she managed to stay calm when she served the ball. As a result, the team won seven straight points. That boosted her teammates' morale. Eventually, the Chinese team won the game.

"In the film, the doctor nailed a plate on Cao's injured knee. Immediately after she was released from the hospital, Cao asked Yuan, then-coach of the national team, to allow her to participate in training. I was deeply touched by the power of Cao's faith and dedication to her career," recalls Mao.

Mao gained a better understanding of the former volleyball players' anger, pleasures, sorrows and joys by participating in the film. She is pleased to note she has become stronger. "I hope more young people will see the film, so they can learn from the elder generation of women volleyball players. I also hope young people will carry forward the players' good tradition of making laborious efforts to achieve success in their careers," says Mao.

Following Role Models

The women's volleyball team of Tang Zhang Middle School (from Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province)

Winning all of the games in the group match and eventually being ranked second, after the junior high school final of CSVA (China School Volleyball Association) in 2019, was the best season for the women's volleyball team of Tang Zhang Middle School since the team was founded in 1979.

"Because of our excellent performance in last year's CSVA national competition, the women's volleyball team of our school gained the precious opportunity to attend a world-level, middle-school volleyball competition, which will be held in Brazil in May this year," Song Aiju, coach of the team, told Women of China. She was informed of her team's inclusion by CSVA.

Song urges young players on her team to learn from China's women's volleyball team. She asks her students to unite firmly as a team, and to never give up when they compete against other teams. "Our rivals are everywhere. No matter if it is in a volleyball match or during one's growth, we cannot avoid encountering strong rivals. Although we cannot be a winner all the time, I hope girls on my team have dreams and goals, and that they have the courage to challenge their limits and go beyond," Song says.

Liu Qi is another coach of the team. Last year, when Song was leading some members of the team, as they were attending a match in another region of China, Liu continued teaching the team's members who stayed in Xuzhou, even though she was pregnant with her second child. Girls on the team are touched by their diligent and hardworking coaches.

Zhang Na, a libero on the team, says her favorite women volleyball players are her coaches. "Our coaches, Song and Liu, both were professional players. They are strict with us (members of the team) during training. But in their spare time, both of them treat us as kindly as they are with their children," Zhang says. She hopes one day to compete in a volleyball game on behalf of China.

Bai Yidan, a second spiker, says she has learned from China's women's volleyball team to "spare no effort to finish those seemingly impossible missions." Bai admires Hui Ruoqi, the former captain of China's national women's volleyball team. Hui overcame difficulties after her cardiac surgery, and she endured pain due to injuries to her shoulders. However, Hui returned to the team, and she led the team as they won a gold medal during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Bai says she is deeply moved by Hui's persistence.

Jiang Chengjun, Liu Ziyu and Yu Peihong are chief spikers. Each likes Zhu Ting, the current captain of the national team. In the young students' eyes, Zhu is "confident" and "strong" in leading the team. Every time the Chinese team fails to score, Zhu encourages her teammates to "get (the points) back!" Zhu's excellent performance makes her teammates more eager to win.

Li Jiahui, Yang Puyi and Huang Yijing play second pass. They all like Ding Xia, an experienced setter on the national team. "A setter plays an important role, because only if the volleyball is nicely passed to spikers, will the spikers be able to finish excellent attacks," Yang says. Zheng Chengyue, who plays the same position, adds the team represents "concentration and passion that is warm like fire."

The young players of Tang Zhang Middle School are following their role models — China's national women's volleyball team — as they do their best to strive for greater achievements.

I am a Loyal Fan of China's Women's Volleyball Team

Ma Yanli, designer, model and actress

"The spirit of China's national women's volleyball team is that everything is possible. They never give up, never retreat and always try their utmost to get each point," Ma says.

Ma, born in 1974, began learning to play volleyball at a sports school in Zhoukou, in North China's Hebei Province, in 1986. That was the golden time for China's women's volleyball team.

"We felt excited when we talked about the team's brilliant achievements. Their victories gave us great encouragement and pride, and their fighting spirit inspired us. Fighting for the honor of the motherland was the sacred goal in our hearts, and we were united for the common goal," she says.

As a volleyball player, Ma had an idol — Lang. "She is like a goddess to me. She has great influence in the world's volleyball arena. With super volleyball skills and an unyielding spirit, she is both strong and mysterious," Ma says.

"The development of China's sports industry has been accelerated in recent years. Lang has a deep bond with the team. She is powerful enough to lead the team to a new high," she adds.

Ma never thought Lang would become one of her clients after Lang visited her fashion studio more than a decade ago. "As a loyal fan of the team, I was nervous and at a loss in front of her. I gave her the book that I wrote as a gift, and I chatted with her about volleyball and how to start a business. That was a wonderful experience," Ma recalls.

Throughout the years, Ma has undergone many transformations. She ended her sports career in 1993, due to a waist injury. Two years later, she won first place during an international modeling contest in Shanghai.

In 2002, Ma created the fashion brand Maryma Design. However, the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak in Beijing, the following year, messed up her original business-expansion plan.

"At that time, there were few customers in the shopping mall. Our products were overstocked. If it had been someone else, the store would have closed. But I made it through. I am not a person who gives up easily. Maybe that is a common advantage of people who used to be an athlete. The spirit of the team has a deep influence on us," she recalls.

Lang once said, "In each game, our goal is to raise the national flag and play the national anthem." Ma feels that the spirit of the team has helped promote patriotism among generations of Chinese.

"When I was little, I thought I would fight for the honor of the motherland … Since I have grown up, I have had a stronger sense of responsibility. I have integrated art elements of ethnic minority groups into my fashion designs. I feel happy that I can contribute to inheriting and protecting intangible cultural heritage," she says.    

As a loyal fan, Ma always cares about the development of the team. "The younger generation of volleyball players is more active than previous generations. They not only play on behalf of our national team, they also have opportunities to play games for international clubs. They love beauty and fashion. I often encourage them and help them display their beauty with my fashion designs," Ma says.

How They See the Spirit of China's Women's Volleyball Team

"The spirit of the team is of great significance. China was in the initial stages of its reform and opening-up in the 1980s. Under such circumstances, the team's victories greatly enhanced national confidence."

— Wei Jizhong, Honorary President of FIVB

"The spirit of the team was embodied in their training. In 1981, when I wrote an article about the team, titled Chinese Girls, I stayed with them in their training base for more than 20 days, and I saw how hard they trained. Was the world championship all they wanted? I didn't think so. What they pursued was to make our country stronger."

— Lu Guang, writer

"When I became head coach of the team in 2001, I believed I had to work hard and guide my team members to perform better during training and each game. I think the spirit of the team is to make every day count."

— Chen Zhonghe, former head coach of the team

"Our training was hard and intensive. But it was a really happy time for me. I think the spirit of the team is about one keyword — striving."

— Zhou Suhong, former captain of the team

"The spirit means that I must try my best to fight, even if I will lose. You can defeat me, but you cannot bring me down."

— Zhao Ruirui, former women's volleyball player

"During past decades, many staff members have participated in the work related to the team. Their indelible contributions to the growth of the team should also be remembered."

— Xu Li, former director of the volleyball management center of the General Administration of Sports of China

"My work used to be painstaking. But I felt nothing when I compared it to the volleyball players' hard training. With its fighting spirit, the team moves toward victory, step by step. I hope the players of the new generation will continue to inherit the fighting spirit."

— Tan Qixiao, 83, who keeps precious photos and news reports of the team

"When I am upset, I will watch the games that the team played during the Rio Olympic Games. I feel passionate after I watch the games. I tell myself that, no matter how hard life is, I should keep moving forward."

— A volleyball fan
 

Photos Supplied by Fan Wenjun and Li Xuetong  

(Women of China English Monthly January 2020 issue)