22/01/2014 12:54
Two rookies to battle it out for ticket to Playoffs 6 in Omsk
2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League - Women
Omsk, Russia, January 21, 2014. On Thursday Omichka OMSK REGION and Prosecco Doc-Imoco CONEGLIANO will be playing a much anticipated return game in the Playoffs 12 of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League – Women. Though the home heroines lost in straight sets last week to Italy’s “Panthers” in Treviso, they still hope to claim that match in three or four sets so as to call for the golden set.
Italy’s vice champions have arrived in Omsk on Wednesday morning after a long journey via Moscow and straight had their first practice at the “V. Blinov” sports complex.
“Omichka has a very good roster” says CONEGLIANO head coach Marco Gaspari. “I would quite understandably single out the likes of Natalya Mammadova and Nancy Carrillo, but from what I have seen in Treviso, their middle-blockers Elena Yureva and Anastasia Shlyakhovaya also are excellent players. To get the result we need to make the Playoffs 6, we have to serve strong and make sure that their setter won’t get the chance to use that often the middle-blockers.”
“It is going to be a very tough game” adds CONEGLIANO team captain Raffaella Calloni. “Last week we played superbly in defence and reception and on top of this we could rely on the always outstanding support of our fans. Our opponents also looked a bit jet-lagged after they arrived in Italy. I hope that we will not experience the same problem here. Omichka is a very strong opponent but we want to avoid the golden set.”
“It is very difficult to compare Omichka to our opponents in the national league where we never get to play players who are that tall” stresses CONEGLIANO opposite Emiliya Nikolova. “I can’t predict what is coming up tomorrow but for sure the game will be spectacular. I think it will be more difficult for us than it was last week because this time Omichka will be playing at home and count on their fans.”
“After our performance from last week in Treviso I got the feeling that we do not deserve to progress to the Playoffs 6 of this competition” comments the Serbian-born head coach of Omichka, Zoran Terzic. “We played our worst game this season. We will do our best to work on the mistakes we made there and win. Our first goal is to focus on the game; after that, if we get the right to play a golden set, we will appeal to the fighting spirit and attitude of this team.”
“CONEGLIANO is a good team which plays extremely well in defence” adds Omichka setter Marina Babeshina (Sheshenina). “If they start playing good in this fundamental it will be very difficult for us to stop their march. We have to serve strong and perform well in attack as well. We have been preparing very carefully for this game because this is one of the most important matches this season. My family and friends will also come to cheer on us. I think that we do stand a chance to beat the Italian team and make the Playoffs 6.”
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