20/02/2017 17:05
Must-win situation for Polish champions in quest for Playoff spot
2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Women
Szczecin, Poland, February 20, 2017. Chemik POLICE are set to play Telekom BAKU in the fifth round of action as the group stage of the 2017 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Women is slowly coming to an end. Earlier this season, Chemik rallied to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Telekom when these two teams first locked horns in Azerbaijan’s capital.
“In my opinion this was a really important match for us because for the first time this season we did show our real potential. That was an opportunity to stress and confirm that we can fight for victories even when playing on the European stage,” the setter of Chemik POLICE, Joanna Wolosz, recalled.
The young opposite of POLICE, Malwina Smarzek, remembers that match very well since it coincided with her second appearance in a CEV Volleyball Champions League fixture. She scored 16 points – more than any other player did on that day. “My debut with Liu Jo Nordmeccanica MODENA was not very smooth and it does not bring back any nice memories. I felt very nervous, and therefore stress paralysed me a bit. However, the match with Telekom changed everything. I tried to stay focussed and at the end, my efforts were rewarded,” she said.
The Polish national champions are still in contention for a spot in the Playoffs but in order to achieve this feat, they have to win their home match with Telekom. As for BAKU, they have lost four matches in a row so far and they do not stand any chance of progressing to the next stage of the competition. “Everything is in our hands, as usual. We are aware of the current situation. If we want to make it to the Playoffs, we have to win our matches with both Telekom and MODENA. I think we can do that, so now it’s time for some hard work,” Wolosz concluded.
|