After several months of preparation, The Argentine women’s volleyball team will have its great test in the year in the World Cup in Poland and the Netherlands that will take place between this Friday and October 15. The national team will try to reach the second phase of the tournament and above all, knowing what level it is at and how close it has been to the European powers after four years of work.
The Panthers were present in the last two Olympic Games and this will be the third consecutive participation in World Cups -and the seventh in history-, although he was never able to access the next round. Argentina shares group D with China, Brazil, Japan, Colombia and the Czech Republic. The last two are the rivals to beat to dream of the great goal of getting into the top four in the area and advancing to the next stage.
Page 12 communicated with Yamila Nizetich, the team’s historic receiving point, in the run-up to their tour of France. The Cordoban played the World Cup in 2014 and she will be one of the three players who already have experience in this event along with Emilce Sosa and Tatiana Rizzo, who did the same in 2014 and 2018.
– How do you see the team?
– We are very anxious to play the World Cup. We adjusted the last thing and we did more physical than in competition it is not possible. We start working in May. Everything is quite oiled but we need to play. We have had little game, a lot of training but little game. Playing against Europeans and Asians is going to come in handy.
The Panthers they had a series of six friendlies against Peru on a tour of the country during June and then They qualified for the Pan American Games of Santiago de Chile 2023 by beating Peru and Colombia in the city of San Juan. Although they had these matches, they did not face other rivals at the international level and to make up for this lack traveled to play a friendly tournament in France against rivals with whom they will face each other again in the World Cup. There they got a fifth place after defeating Canada 3-2.
-What do you feel personally?
– I’m happy. My goal is to be able to guide the youngest because it is part of the legacy that I want to leave in the National Team. I want to enjoy with them and pass on my experience, calm and advice when necessary.
– How much of Yas remains in the National Team?
– I do not know. I go season by season, it will depend on the coach, on my level, on what the National Team needs. My love for the light blue and white is unconditional and if I have to be there I will be from every point of view, so hopefully much longer.
The great objective, to pass the round
Coach, Hernan Ferraroalso spoke about how he sees the team and the goals to be met: “I hope we have a good tournament after 4 years of work, see how and if we could get a little closer to the powers. We have a great challenge that is to overcome the first round and hopefully we can achieve it”.
Regarding the game, Nizetich explained the keys with a view to the rivals they will have from this Sunday: “We have to serve well to be able to play well in blocking and defense. We are a low team so at European level we have to try to play faster to be able to pass. We have to risk more and not err so much. Against European teams, if you take care of the ball it is very difficult to maintain the level.
Rivals to beat
In a very tough group with powers like China and Brazil and a difficult Japan, Colombia and the Czech Republic will be the teams to beat to achieve the great goal
Ferraro counted the chances he sees against both: “They are difficult. With Colombia we have already played many games, I think we have an advantage but it is harder from a psychological point of view. We met the Czech Republic only once in 2019 and lost. It is a European team that plays well, but is in a moment of replacement, without much experience. There we can get some advantage from the emotional point of view, they tend to fall if things don’t go well for them and I think we can win.”
-What has to be the basis of the game to keep the two games?
– Sustain what we do best for longer. Lower the error but at the same time be aggressive, which is the most difficult thing about volleyball, especially in the women’s, and to be able to achieve continuity over time that does not lead to a set being won 25-16 and the other being lost by the same difference. It’s a matter of mentality but you also have to be able to maintain the technical aspect of the game for a longer time.
Game mode
24 teams divided into 4 groups of 6 will seek to reach the second phase. The first 4 of each zone will qualify and form two groups of 8 in which everyone will face each other except those who have already faced each other in the first round.
From there the 8 teams will go directly to the quarterfinals to follow each eliminatory stage until the final to be played on October 23 in the Dutch city of Apeldoorn.
The Panthers will seek, then, to reach the second instance to take another step and follow a path of sustained growth over the past decade.