Stefano Lavarini smiling, but with a little “but”. This is a fragment of the match against Slovenia

Polish volleyball players defeated Slovenians 3-0 in the first match of the qualifying tournament in Łódź. The bronze medalists of the 2023 Nations League had no problems coping with the team of former coach of the Reds and Whites, Marco Bonitta. They probably managed to cope throughout almost the entire match, allowing themselves a moment of distraction only at the end of the match.

Stefano Lavarini humorously pointed out one lack of concentration

Although surprises are possible, it could be assumed that only a cataclysm would deprive the Poles of three points in the first match of the qualifying tournament in Łódź. The Atlas Arena was filled with fans who watched the White and Reds show their dominance. Since hiring Bonitta, the Slovenians have been focusing on rejuvenating their squad. Many players are still getting used to top volleyball, which they experience on their own bodies only at selected moments of the national team season.

Stefano Lavarini is not the type of person who would walk everywhere with a smile from ear to ear. After the match against Slovenia in the mixzon, he was in a good mood. He allowed himself to laugh or joke when asked about his predictions for the final of the European Men’s Championships, and he tried to diplomatically avoid the answer. Commenting on the match against Slovenia, he noted his excellent control over most of the match. He had a small “but” until the end of the match, when the opponents led from 17:24 to 22:24.

– The match was meant to be won. We played with good focus for two sets. In the third one we relaxed a bit and made 9 or 10 mistakes. Certainly, in other circumstances we would have paid a lot for something like this. However, I can understand that the girls had been waiting for this match for a long time and when the match was going in the expected direction, they became slightly disconnected from it. Of course, I would mostly criticize such an attitude, but I must emphasize that up to that moment, the second half of the third set, we had played a very good match. This result is the best way to start the tournament, Lavarini summed up the match.

Martyna Łukasik is confident about the possibility of representation

Martyna Łukasik also did not hide her satisfaction with the certain victory. There are still six demanding steps ahead of the host and other players. For a week, their bodies will face a great test of endurance. The host Grupa Azoty Chemika Police realizes that tickets to Paris are a real goal and require maximum concentration.

– We are here to get these tickets (to Paris). We believe we can do it, Łukasik said. I think we have a lot of fuel. This is the highlight of the season. We no longer think about what was behind us, but about what is ahead of us – here and now. We think about what we want to do. We have to save energy, but also give our maximum, added the staff member.

Poland will play against South Korea

In the next match, the Polish women will play against South Korea, which has won only five matches since taking over the team after Cesar Hernandez (Lavarini’s successor), losing over 100 points in the FIVB ranking. Ending the conversation, Łukasik referred to the calendar of competitions in Łódź, which was arranged in an interesting way for Polish women. Initially, they will face theoretically weaker rivals, only to fight against the most difficult opponents in the last matches.

– No need to complain. Now we have to think that it is beneficial for us. We will definitely feel better about ourselves. Maybe we will get tired, but we have no influence on it… so it will definitely be beneficial – concluded the 23-year-old from Gdańsk, laughing.