The second phase of the 2021/22 Chinese Women’s Volleyball Championship is over without any information announced whatsoever on what teams will continue their participation.
The regular season in the 2021/22 Women’s Super League is over (but, take it with a pinch of salt) with the conclusion of the second stage in which four rounds were held. The two major favorites for the title – the reigning champions Tianjin (Pool C) and Shanghai (Pool D) – won all the matches with a score of 3-0. Counting the first stage, Tianjin is the only undefeated side with 10-0. One more team took all four matches in the second stage in straight sets – Jiangsu (Pool D). In the last round, Tianjin overwhelmed Beijing in three sets, partially 25-17, 25-14, and 25-16, with 21 points from Cuban Melissa Vargas. Shanghai did the same against Hebei, partially 25-12, 25 -15, and 25-16. Given that Korean Kim Yeon-Koung was at rest due to the new rule of the Chinese federation (CVA) that only one foreigner is allowed to be on the court, American Jordan Larson got the chance to play and has noted 18 points.
It is not clear how the competition will continue now: according to the original rules, the rankings of the second phase should not have taken into account the results obtained in the first phase. CVA has published new rankings on its website which, on the contrary, take into account all the results from the start of the championship. It changes things a lot because, for instance, Shenzhen (fourth in Pool C) would not qualify for the remainder of the competition, the Final Six, by the first criterion. Based on the second criterion, they would have qualified among the top six. As it seems now, Tianjin, Shandong, and Guangdong (Pool C) and Jiangsu, Shanghai, Liaoning (Pool D) will play in the decisive phase, which will start on December 22.
CVA truly made an effort (we are ironic) to confuse volleyball fans in the country and beyond by introducing an additional competition this season, which preceded Super League and for which many thought it is the official championship, and by reducing the number of foreign players allowed to be present on the court at the same time in the eve of Super League. Now, CVA showed it does not have an idea of what criterion to introduce for participation in the final stage.
2021/22 Women’s Super League – regular season, second stage, Round 4:
Standings
