China's libero Wang Mengjie (left) celebrates as teammate Wang Aoqian looks on during a Women's Volleyball Nations League match in Ankara, Turkey, on June 20, 2026. Photo: IC

It is rare for a libero to score in a volleyball match. Yet China's Wang Mengjie did it twice during the 2026 Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL) stop in Turkey. 

Now, the two-time Olympian is preparing for a new challenge after signing with US professional league League One Volleyball (LOVB).

The 30-year-old became the second Chinese player to join the LOVB after national team captain Gong Xiangyu signed up with LOVB Madison in June 2025. 

This signing marks the beginning of the two-time Olympian and World Cup champion's first-ever club volleyball experience outside of China. 

Wang told the Global Times during an exclusive interview that she sees past honors as just past achievements and that, for a professional athlete, continuously pushing one's limits and refining one's skills is a lifelong pursuit. 

"Although I have won quite a few honors during my career, I want to step outside the familiar domestic training and competition system," Wang told the Global Times. 

"The LOVB is highly professionalized, offering exposure to entirely new offensive and defensive approaches as well as training philosophies. While I am still in good form and able to compete at full strength, I want to learn different styles of play, broaden my understanding of volleyball, and achieve all-round improvement in my abilities," she noted. 

Wang has just returned to China from the VNL duty in Turkey where her consistent performances and highly creative defensive scoring plays received praise from the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

During China's 3-2 victory over Germany on June 17, Wang showcased sharp anticipation, skillfully turning defense into attack by digging the ball directly into the open space at the back of Germany's court. 

Volleyball World, one of the official social media platforms of FIVB, posted footage of the play with the text: "Court awareness from Wang Mengjie." 

After turning defense into points again during China's 1-3 defeat to Brazil on June 20, Wang posted the plays on her personal Sina Weibo account, saying, "Currently topping the scoring charts among all liberos at the 2026 VNL."

Cornerstone of defense 

Wang's impact on the court goes well beyond the statistics. Her consistency in serve reception, wide defensive coverage and wealth of international competition experience made her a cornerstone of the national team's defense in recent years.

Looking ahead to her first season overseas, Wang noted that she has already done extensive preparation and planning. 

She revealed that she had in-depth discussions with teammate Gong about the characteristics of the league, giving her a clear understanding of the challenges that lie ahead.

"Gong and I have talked a lot," Wang told the Global Times. "I've learned that the pace of transition between offense and defense in the US league is much faster, placing greater demands on players' ability to adapt on the fly and connect plays seamlessly."

"My focus in the coming months will be on targeted training to adapt to the league's fast-paced defensive style," she said. 

"I'll work on improving the consistency of my serve reception and strengthen the core fundamentals of my game. At the same time, I want to adjust as quickly as possible to the local lifestyle and training environment so I can integrate into my new team and system and be in the best possible shape for the new season."

Wang has represented China at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal at the 2018 FIVB World Championship. Winning the 2019 FIVB World Cup was her most unforgettable experience so far. 

"Throughout the tournament, everyone on the team stood together, fought through every tough match and gave everything to protect our side of the court. When we finally stepped onto the podium, all the grueling training sessions and every sacrifice we had made suddenly felt worthwhile. That experience reaffirmed why I love volleyball and gave me the greatest motivation to keep fighting on the court," recalled Wang, who was named Best Libero of the 2019 World Cup. 

Growing and giving back

Once hailed as a point of national pride for their consecutive triumphs in international competitions, the women's national volleyball team is undergoing a generational transition with a crop of young talents emerging in this year's VNL Nanjing leg and the following Turkey leg. 

China will take part in the VNL Hong Kong leg before competing in the VNL Finals in the Macao Special Administrative Region in July. 

The tournament provides a valuable opportunity for these young players to gain experience and fine-tune the lineup, while helping the team prepare for the more important Asian Women's Volleyball Championship to be held in Tianjin from August 21 to 30, with the champion gaining direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 

"We've gained a great deal from VNL. My chemistry with the younger players has continued to improve, and the team has become much more composed when facing adversity. Overall, both our competitive form and team cohesion have taken a significant step forward," said Wang. 

"The younger players on the team are fearless, determined and full of energy. They have tremendous potential," she said. "I hope they can continue to play with that fearless spirit, cherish every opportunity to compete on the big stage, and keep learning and growing through match experience."

Wang said her top priority this year is to do everything she can to help the team qualify for the Olympics, while striking the right balance between gaining experience in the overseas league and fulfilling her commitments with the national team's training camps and competitions.

Over the long term, she hopes to bring back the advanced tactical approaches, training methods and competitive insights she gains overseas and apply them to the development of volleyball in China. 

"At the same time, I plan to pursue studies in sports science to continue broadening my knowledge, so that I can contribute to the sport I love in different capacities throughout my career," she noted.