In view of the fourth day of the second round of the SuperLega Credem Banca 2022/2023 Regular Season, coach Radostin Stoytchev and spiker John Gordon Perrin spoke at the press conference. The two presented the challenge between Gioiella Prisma Taranto and WithU Verona, scheduled for Saturday 14 January at 18.00 at the PalaMazzola. These are the words of the Gialloblù coach: “Taranto was able to beat us at home in the first round, now he plays even better, he has raised his percentages, especially in attack. There are no uninteresting matches in the Italian league, all are battles. Only Perugia is superior, the others only vary by two, three points. In the last few weeks, we weren’t at our maximum level due to some circumstances, now I hope to have all the players available and to go to Taranto with a compact team prepared for the match. We have to enter the field with only one idea: we have to get every extra point in the set. I expect grit, everything else follows as a result.”
Then he continued, speaking of the team’s morale: “In sport, morale is always important, when you win it’s easier. The opponents are strong and we are less experienced, so it’s no surprise. Now the head with which we will face the match is important, because in two weeks the quality does not change. A player’s head is not free when he has the will to do well but fails in his intent. If one doesn’t care, he doesn’t feel this pressure. Our players still don’t have those mechanisms and that baggage of experience that allows them to face very complicated races with the right head. Don’t forget that Perugia has been playing like this since last year. When you learn the mechanics, you already know what to do, you feel your partner and you don’t even need to talk to each other. We are at the stage where we still have to explain many situations. It happens that the players have everything clear but someone, perhaps among the younger ones, takes more time to put some things into practice and this does not help. This is normal for a young group like ours. Big teams have champions who know what to do and change the game at any moment, allowing the whole group to dissolve. Well, we have to get there.”
“In the league we’re not in bad shape in the error-damage ratio. We need to improve a lot in reception and we’re working on it. In two months, it is difficult to change. I remember Keita switching roles and finding himself getting jokes from Leon. Gordon (Perrin, ed) in training saw an error in his posture and corrected it. Keita learns every day; it takes time and patience. The opponents? Falaschi is a player with great experience, with the ball in hand he does what he wants. Stefani could be in the national team as the opposite, they have strong players in the center and they have increased the percentage in the ball change. We are interested in looking at our team, we study the others, but tactics are needed when you are lucid. Volleyball is a very fast sport, the reaction is immediate, you also have to play instinctively”.
Later, the Canadian hammer took the floor: “Experience is certainly important within a group to grow. We are preparing well for Taranto, where an important match awaits us. You have to fight and win. We are a young but very strong team that is making an effort. We are aware of the importance of Saturday’s match and the ball is in our hands. We have to aim for victory. How is my Veronese experience going? I like the city and the atmosphere you breathe. I get along well with my teammates. I decided to come here for the beautiful environment and to feel part of it. Teammates are great players with plenty of room for improvement. I can give them some advice, but I have to make their way through commitment and hard work, which they certainly don’t lack”.
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