If you follow international volleyball, you know the drill. You look at the women’s side—the legendary "Iron Hammer" Lang Ping, the Olympic golds, the absolute dominance—and then you look at the men. It’s a completely different world. Honestly, being a fan of the China men's national volleyball team can feel like a bit of a rollercoaster, mostly because they’ve spent decades living in the shadow of their female counterparts.
But things are getting weirdly interesting lately.
While the world was watching the heavy hitters like Poland and Italy, the Chinese men have been undergoing a quiet, somewhat painful, but necessary identity crisis. They aren't the powerhouse they were in the late 70s or during that surprising 2008 Beijing run. Right now, they are a team trying to figure out how to survive in a sport that has become faster, taller, and much more violent than it used to be.
The Vital Heynen Gamble
Last year, the Chinese Volleyball Association did something they rarely do: they handed the keys to a foreigner. Not just any foreigner, but Vital Heynen. If you know volleyball, you know Heynen is basically the "mad scientist" of the sport. He led Poland to a World Championship title in 2018. He’s intense. He’s eccentric. He literally told reporters in Xi'an that he couldn't lose to the Netherlands because his house in Belgium is only 50 meters from the Dutch border.
That's the kind of energy this team was missing.
Since taking over in 2024, Heynen has been brutally honest. He pointed out that while China is great at developing teenage talent, the men’s game is a different beast. In a recent interview with Xinhua, he noted that men don't peak until their late 20s or even 30s, yet many Chinese players retire way too early. He’s trying to shift the entire culture from "win now at 19" to "learn how to be a professional for the next 15 years."
Why the China Men's National Volleyball Team Isn't Top 10 Yet
Let's look at the numbers because they don't lie. As of late 2025, the team is hovering around the 24th to 28th spot in the FIVB World Rankings. It sounds low, and yeah, it is. But ranking points in volleyball are fickle. One good week in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) can jump you five spots; one bad tournament can sink you.
The 2025 VNL season was a perfect example of the "two steps forward, one step back" reality.
Playing at home in Xi'an, they pulled off a massive 3-0 sweep against Serbia. It was Heynen's birthday. The crowd went nuts. Ji Daoshuai and captain Jiang Chuan looked like world-beaters. Then, a few days later, they pushed the USA to five sets. They almost had them. But they couldn't close it out. That "killer instinct" is what’s missing. You've got the height—Zhang Jingyin is a legitimate star playing in overseas leagues—but the consistency just isn't there yet.
Breaking the "Physicality" Myth
There’s this old-school narrative that Asian teams succeed through "speed and trickery" because they lack the raw power of the Europeans or Brazilians. That’s mostly nonsense now. Look at Japan. They are currently one of the best teams in the world because they mastered floor defense and high-speed pipe attacks.
China has the physical tools. They have guys like Peng Shikun in the middle who can go toe-to-toe with anyone at the net. The problem has historically been the domestic league. It wasn't competitive enough. To fix this, more players are being encouraged to go abroad. When Zhang Jingyin went to play in Poland and Russia, it changed the ceiling for the entire team. He brought back a level of "violence" in his attacking that you just don't see in the local Chinese university or provincial circuits.
Recent Major Tournament Snapshots
- 2024 Challenger Cup: They won gold in Linyi, which was huge because it got them back into the VNL.
- 2025 VNL: Finished near the bottom of the table (17th) with a 3-9 record, but showed life with wins over Serbia and the Netherlands.
- 2025 World Championship: A rough outing, finishing 30th after failing to get out of the preliminary round. It was a wake-up call that the gap between the elite and the mid-tier is widening.
The Generation Gap and the U21 Promise
If you're looking for a reason to be optimistic, look at the youth. The U21 team has been scrappy. In the 2025 U21 World Championships held in Jiangmen, the young Chinese squad pushed the USA to the brink. They lost, sure, but they showed a level of defensive grit that the senior team sometimes lacks.
Heynen has been spending his "off" time watching these kids. He’s looking for "smiles." He famously said he wants players to show more emotion and have fun, because under the high-pressure system of Chinese sports, players often become "robots." You can't play elite volleyball as a robot. You need flair. You need to be able to improvise when a pass goes wide.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Rankings
People see a #28 ranking and assume the team is "bad." In reality, the difference between #15 and #30 in men’s volleyball is razor-thin. It usually comes down to serve-receive efficiency. When the China men's national volleyball team passes at a 50% "excellent" rate, they can beat almost anyone. When that drops to 30%, they get blown off the court by the heavy servers from France or Poland.
The focus for 2026 and 2027 isn't necessarily winning a medal—it's stabilizing the floor.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking this team’s progress toward the 2028 Olympics or the next Asian Games, here is what actually matters:
- The "Export" Count: Keep an eye on how many players are signing with clubs in Italy (SuperLega) or Poland (PlusLiga). If that number hits 5 or 6, China will become a top-15 team within two years.
- Service Pressure: Stop looking at total points and look at "Ace-to-Error" ratios. China historically misses too many easy serves while not putting enough pressure on the opponent's libero.
- The Heynen Factor: Watch the bench. If the players are communicating more and looking less "stiff," the coaching change is working.
The road back to the top of Asia—let alone the world—is long. Japan is currently the king of the continent, and Iran is always a physical nightmare. But for the first time in a decade, the Chinese men's team has a clear, albeit difficult, blueprint for the future.
To stay ahead of the curve on their progress, you should regularly check the Volleyball World (VBTV) match replays specifically for their "Transition Phase" scoring. It’s the best indicator of whether they are evolving into a modern, high-speed unit or staying stuck in the old provincial style. Keep a close watch on the 2026 VNL roster announcements; the inclusion of more U21 players will signal a full commitment to the "Heynen Revolution."