In the first round of the second half of the Italian Men's Volleyball League, Monza, the team that Takahashi Ai plays for, played against Civitanova on Saturday, December 30th (local time) and lost 1-3 (27-25, 21-25, 22-25, 23-25). Takahashi Ai started the game and scored 7 points.
Comments from Ai Takahashi after the match
-How do you feel looking back on today's game?
Takahashi: I was substituted in the middle of the second set, but looking back on the match, I think our serves were a big problem in today's match, and that came up as an issue. If your serves aren't powerful, you can't get a break, and I made a lot of mistakes with my serves, so I need to improve on that.
-With half the regular season now complete, what kind of team do you think Monza is?
Takahashi: We really have the serve as our weapon, and in terms of blocking and defense, myself and Gacho (Gazzini) are the core of our defense, so if that works, I think we're a strong team that can compete against any opponent. But the serve was a real problem in today's game, so I think that's where we need to improve.
-What would you like people to see as you compete in Italy?
Takahashi: Yes, the schedule is going to be tough, but we will do our best to perform as well as we can. I am good at receiving, and I am also good at piping the ball and making quick attacks. Today, the (team) spike success rate was 50%, but I think we can improve that effectiveness even more. So I want everyone to keep a close eye on the opponent's blocks and try to improve the effectiveness of my own spikes even more, and I hope everyone will pay attention to that.
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