In the third match of the quarterfinals of the Italian Women's Volleyball League playoffs, Chieri, coached by Hayashi Kento, faced Novara on Wednesday, April 3rd (local time) and lost 1-3 (25-22, 21-25, 22-25, 23-25).
With this, Chieri's record in the quarterfinals was 1 win and 2 losses, and they were eliminated in the quarterfinals, finishing the season in 5th place.
Coach Kent post-match interview
Toshiki: Thank you for your hard work. First, please give us a review of the match.
Kent: That's right...
I think the biggest reason we lost was that we couldn't win the third set. In the first set, Groberna was really hitting the ball, so that was a big factor, and our original strategy of targeting No. 1 Suzakumarie (with our serves) was very effective. I think we were able to balance that with the effectiveness of our attacks in the first set.
However, from the second set onwards the effectiveness of our counter attacks began to decline, particularly Groberna's attacking effectiveness, and Kingdon's attacking effectiveness on the outside also did not improve, which I think greatly contributed to our results.
In response, we tried to catch up by putting in Omorui and changing the setter, but we just fell short. The opponents, Bozzetti and Markova, also had a high attacking effectiveness rate. I especially liked Bozzetti's reception.
The key point was that she was a standout performer both in attack and defense, so I think it was a big part of her bringing balance and allowing Markova to act as the finisher.
Toshiki: Unfortunately, today's game marked the end of the season, but how do you feel now?
Kent: That's right. I haven't been able to process it all in my head yet, but what can I say... I don't think it's very common to end a season with feelings like this. I wish I could have stayed with this team longer, or wish I could have spent as long as possible with the current members. I don't think there are many teams where I feel like that, so I was honored to have been able to play with such a team for a year, and I remember it being fun.
Toshiki: I think this season was your first time playing in the Italian league, but what do you think is the biggest thing you gained from this season?
Kent: That's right. I've been thinking about that for a long time, but... I haven't found it clearly yet. Or rather, I have it, but I can't put it into words well, so when I find it, I'd like to tell you about it again.
Before taking on this job, I first thought about how I could contribute to the team as a Japanese person. If I was just a coach, the manager and the team staff would probably hire Italians. That would make communication smoother. However, I fought every day, asking myself why I was invited to be here in this way.
First of all, I thought that Japanese people can compete too, and I had to be proud of that, so I spent every day thinking that. Of course, there were times when I was frustrated and things didn't go well, but I got used to this place, and I reaffirmed the fact that "Japanese people can compete on the world stage, too." I think that's something that I felt most strongly about.
It was a season in which we fought, not thinking "Overseas!!", but rather realising that Japan is part of the world, and that Japan can also compete on the world stage.
Toshiki: Finally, please say a few words to everyone in Japan who supported you this season.
Kent: There were so many people who supported me even before I came to Italy, and your support really encouraged me. I was so happy to receive messages of support every day. My fight will continue, so please continue to support me. This marks the end of the Italian chapter for now, so thank you very much.
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