China: Shanghai win 6th consecutive title!
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The 2019/20 Chinese men’s volleyball Championship, resumed after a seven-month break caused by the coronavirus pandemic, ended with a title defense of Shanghai!
In Game 2 of playoff finals held at the Training Base in Qinhuangdao (venue for all matches after the reopening of the competition), Shanghai defeated Jiangsu with a clear 3-0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:17) closing the series.
Shanghai thus won the championship for the 16th time in the history of the club, the sixth in a row. By that, Shanghai further increased the advantage on the list of the title winners in China.
Sichuan are their closest followers with but with only 3 trophies at their account.
Interestingly, the Shanghai head coach Shen Qiong commanded the team to claim all these consecutive championships that coincided with his arrival at the helm of the club, in 2014. As a player, he captained to nine Shanghai’s titles in a row, from 2004-2012!
In this match, Jiangsu’s low chances became even lower because their starting outside hitter, the veteran Zhang Chen, was unable to play due to a knee injury which he suffered in Game 1.
So, the Jiangsu head coach Lu Weizhong was forced to put young Zhou Liying into the field. Wu Pengzhi was the top scorer for Shanghai with 13 points, like Liu Xiangdong for the other side.
August 31 | Final Game 1 |
Jiangsu – Shanghai 1-3 (12:25, 25:20, 15:25, 22:25)
September 1 | Game 2
Shanghai — Jiangsu 3-0 (25:22, 25:19, 25:17)
Photos: volleychina.org
