Volleyball World Cup, Velasco: ‘An easier match than I expected’

Rome, 30 August (LaPresse) – “I didn’t expect this kind of match, to be honest, because they usually receive very well and play with effective fast attacks. Tonight, however, they didn’t receive as well and played a lot on the wing, perhaps partly because we served well, partly because of their own shortcomings. It turned out to be an easier match than I expected.” These were the words of Italian women’s volleyball coach Julio Velasco after the victory against Germany in the round of 16 at the World Championships in Thailand. ‘We’ll take it and look ahead to the next round, aware that we’ll have to pace ourselves well, calmly putting aside the anxiety, often unconscious, that comes with the stress of this long competition. I think it will be very important to manage this phase by pacing ourselves well between training and rest because now we’re entering the final rush of the World Cup. Now we’ll see who we’ll face in the quarter-finals so we can start preparing for the next match,’ added Velasco.