27/08/2020 09:00
Volha Palcheuskaya transfers knowledge to Belarusian stars in the making
CEV U19 Volleyball European Championship 2020
Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, August 27, 2020. At 35 years of age, Volha Palcheuskaya is currently attending her first international competition after retiring from competitive sport two years ago. The former national team player, with as many as 67 caps to her name, is currently leading Team Belarus at #EuroVolleyU19W in Zenica. Under her guidance, Belarus has so far recorded three wins in as many matches they have played in Pool I and qualified for the semis after their latest success against Poland on Wednesday.
“I hope that my knowledge can help these young girls I train,” says the former winner of the CEV Challenge Cup with Lokomotiv BAKU of Azerbaijan, who played at multiple editions of EuroVolley with the Belarusian national team. Two years ago, Volha reached the final of the CEV Cup while playing for Minchanka MINSK – and she is a multiple winner of the Belarusian national league as well with Minchanka and Slavyanska Minsk.
Throughout her long and successful career, Palcheuskaya enjoyed spells in Russia and Poland too, playing for Fakel Novy Urengoy and AZS Białystok, as well as for Nadezhda Gomel and Atlant Baranovichi in her home country.
“I ended my career about two years ago due to a knee injury. The matches at this championship are my first official ones as a coach. In preparation for the championship, we played only seven friendly matches with one team from Belarus,” Palcheuskaya said.
Team Belarus competing at the U19 Women European Championship in Zenica (BIH)
Questioned if she could win a medal in her first appearance as a head coach, she replied, “We should wait before making any such statement; however, Volleyball is such a game that if you play well, you can expect a victory. Most of all, I hope my knowledge can help these young girls with their growth and development,” she continued.
She emphasised her hope that fans will soon return to watch Volleyball matches from the stands, despite the challenges still brought by the coronavirus pandemic. “We feel good in Zenica, and the organisers have really tried to keep everything at a high level. Of course, it is inconvenient because of the situation with COVID-19 but we know we have to follow all of the protocols. We cannot stay in the arena and watch other matches. We have to go to the hotel immediately after the end of our training or match, and everyone is wearing masks ... I hope that this will stop soon, and that everything will return to some sort of normalcy,” Palcheuskaya pointed out.
After recording three victories in a row in Pool I, Belarus have secured their spot in the semis and later this week they will be playing for a medal in Zenica. The leaders of the team are 18-year-old captain Kseniya Liabiodkina and Darya Borys, who is one year younger, not to forget their exclusive mentor Palcheuskaya…
The team also includes Anastasiya Shahun, Dziyana Vaskouskaya, Viktoryia Kastsiuchyk, Hanna Karabinovich, Darya Sauchuk, Lizaveta Bahayeva, Lizaveta Aliseika, Darya Vakulka, Darya Burak and Emilia Mikanovich.
|