China's women's volleyball team celebrates perfect ten
No yelling. No waving fists. Gathering in a circle was basically all the celebration by China, which seemed too calm for the champions.
With their tenth win at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Cup, China has already secured the title with one game still to play.
This is China's tenth title across volleyball's three major competitions, following three Olympic golds, two World Championship crowns and four World Cup titles.
In fact, the World Cup is where China stood atop the podium at an international volleyball tournament for the first time in 1981. 38 years on, 1981 spiker Lang Ping is now the head coach that has led the Chinese team to back-to-back titles.
"Every time we put on our national team jersey, we fight for the same goal: to see our national flag raised to our national anthem [at the podium ceremony]," Lang said after the first match at the 2019 World Cup.
She has kept her word, just like she did 38 years ago, when she saved a match point for China with her powerful spike in the deciding match to tie the game at 15-15, which was followed by two kill blocks by her teammates enabling China to lift the trophy with seven wins in as many games.
The 38 years since have witnessed the rise and fall of the Chinese team, but the team spirit, which priotizes a refusal to give in, has inspired one generation after another, both within the team and across the country.
