In the first match of the German Men's Volleyball League (Bundesliga) final, Berlin, where Tomo Tsuiki (maiden name: Ide) plays, played against Friedrichshafen at home on Monday, May 1st local time. Berlin won the match 3-1 (25-21, 25-22, 28-30, 25-19) thanks to a skillful set by Tille (S, Germany) and points mainly from Sotra (OP, Czech Republic) and Brehme (MB, Germany).
Tsuiki started as libero and made a significant contribution to the team's victory with a 72% serve reception success rate, as well as in terms of defense and passing.
On the day, just under 7,000 spectators packed into the venue and sent enthusiastic cheers.
After the match, we spoke with Berlin's Tsuiki.
-How do you feel looking back on today's game?
Tsuiki: As expected, the final has a unique atmosphere, and the opponent also had players who were originally in the starting lineup at the beginning of the season returning. The Argentine national team's No. 7 player, Vicentin, returned and the opposing team was able to get into a good rhythm, so I thought that was a bit troublesome. Still, I think that was good because we were able to score points well at the end, such as on set points. It was a seesaw game until the end, so I was glad that we were able to turn it around with a point or two at the end. Also, I felt that the challenges were quite on our side, so that was really good.
With today's win, you're now just two wins away from winning the championship, but how are you feeling about the remaining matches in the finals?
Tsuiki: I think the next away game will be a turning point. Of course, we are leading by one win now, but I personally don't think about winning, I just want to win everything, and as long as there is an opponent, I just want to win there. If you think about (winning), for example, if you are leading 2-0 in the final game, you will definitely lose the third set. That's quite a common thing in volleyball. I don't know why, but that kind of thing happens, so I try not to think about it too much, it doesn't matter anymore, no matter how many sets or how many games we play, I just want to win. So, I think I'll probably be happy after the championship is decided, but right now I'm not really thinking about that yet. As long as there is an opponent, I just want to beat them. I don't think about the finals too much, I just play as usual.
- It may be difficult as the season hasn't ended yet, but looking back on this club season, what kind of season do you think it was?
Tsuiki: I've been in the German league for three years now, but this is my first year in Berlin. I didn't have many problems with my daily life, but at first, it was a little difficult to communicate with new players and on the court. However, as the season drew to a close, we really improved in that area, and now we're a much more mature team. It's the end of the season, and I feel like we've really come a long way from the beginning to the end of the season. I've personally come a long way in that regard, and I'm able to play with a sense of the team's rules, how much each person should take, and how much I should take, so my play has become more stable to a certain extent. I think that it's better to play at the end of the season than at the beginning, when I think about the season as a whole.
-Throughout this season, in what area do you personally feel you have grown the most, and conversely, in what area do you still have issues?
Tsuiki: Speaking of areas where I've grown, I think I've become a little more able to take on leadership on the court. I don't know, it's not because my teammates are foreigners, but there are times when players take a break during a match. For example, I think it was the third set today, when we were leading by about three points and the atmosphere was like, we're going to win. At times like that, I feel like I have to tighten it up, like, "I don't know if we're still at three points." I think that being able to take on leadership and communication in those situations is a great growth for me. There are so many issues to work on, but I really need to grow even more. Both technically and mentally. So there's no single issue that I can say is the only one, but I can only say that there are still so many more.
-If you had to pick one, what would it be?
Tsuiki: Well, I'll pick one thing. Well, I guess it's defense. Of course it depends on the game and the opponent, but I think I need to touch the ball a little more...how should I put it? For example, there was one today, and it wasn't a difficult ball for me, but I couldn't get the ball into my court. There was a point difference, but one point like that can have an impact later on, so I think we need to improve our defense more and more, and if I had to pick one thing in particular, it would be that.
-Regarding the Japanese national team, first of all, congratulations on returning to the national team.
Tsuiki: Thank you.
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