Roccaraso, Italy, February 16, 2018. After ending up on top of the podium in their last two tournaments, we caught up with the Turkish pair of Bugra Eryildiz and Aleyna Vence on arriving at Roccaraso as they aim to make it a hat trick of wins on the snow at the second stop of the 2018 European Tour in Italy. With there not being a cloud in the sky, the courts positioned right at the bottom of one of the main ski lifts in Pizzalto, everything is set for a great weekend of Snow Volleyball.
Looking back at their first Snow Volleyball experience at Mount Erciyes, Bugra Eryildiz reflects that “it was really beautiful for us, because we were champions. It was my first experience of Snow Volleyball, the first for us as a team, and it was in our home country. That is the reason why we are here in Roccaraso, after we won we thought that we should go to the next tour stop and play again.”
In between the two European Tour stops, they have also had National success after winning the Turkish National Championships in Kafkasör Plateau, at an altitude of some 1,200 m. As the winners, they secured their participation in the first-ever CEV Snow Volleyball European Championship due to take place in Wagrain-Kleinarl and Flachau, Austria from March 23 to 25.
Their expectations in Roccaraso are high, with a women’s tournament of six teams they hope to be on the podium, if not on the top. While four of the teams are unknown to them, the team from Slovakia contains one of the players, Silvia Poszmikova, that they beat in the semi-finals five weeks ago in Turkey.
Both originating from Beach Volleyball, Aleyna Vence relishes the different conditions you face in Snow Volleyball. “Of course the two sports are similar, but I find it more difficult to train for Snow Volleyball as the weather is changing and so the ground is changing as well, so it affects things like your balance and movement.” She went on to explain the impact that the two disciplines of the sport have had on her life, “there are lots of younger people in both, so it is good for me as it makes me more confident and I get to visit lots of countries and learn something from each of them.”
Bugra Eryildiz is also enjoying the challenge of Snow Volleyball, although relatively fresh to the sport she is starting to master how to move as that poses significantly different challenges to those of the sand. “I do not have much experience, and the snow can change from day to day and even match to match, but I like it,” Bugra said. “It is really hard, it is different from Beach Volleyball or indoor Volleyball, but we are good together and we like it so I think we will continue to play in the future.”
It is glorious sunshine currently in Roccaraso, but that was not the case back in January where the snow came down on Finals day. Bugra Eryildiz explains “it was extremely difficult at Mount Erciyes but here it is really like our summer. Of course we prefer nice weather but the snow is part of Snow Volleyball. At times we could not see the ball very well, but it is the same for both teams and it is a challenge that we enjoy. But obviously we hope for no wind and no snow on Sunday.”
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