On Friday, May 16th, in the semi-finals of the European Champions League, Perugia (Italy), where Ishikawa Yuki plays, defeated Halkbank Ankara (Turkey) 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-22) and advanced to the finals. Ishikawa was in the starting lineup and contributed to the victory by scoring 20 points, the most for both teams.
After the match, we spoke with HalkBank Ankara captain Maika Maa (setter, USA).
T: Unfortunately you lost, but how do you look back on this match?
Maa: They were a really strong team. They had a lot of attacking options and were difficult to deal with. I think we played pretty well overall, but we made a lot of small mistakes. Against such strong teams, those small mistakes can be fatal. We made a few too many of them. So it's frustrating, but they played really well.
T: What exactly are those "small mistakes"?
Maa: For example, at the end of the first set, I dropped a ball that I would normally pick up, and I couldn't return a free ball to the right position. I myself made mistakes that I would normally be able to make. There was also a communication error about who would set the ball on the second touch. On a big stage, it's those kinds of situations that we need to calmly call out to each other. Normally, it would only take one or two mistakes, but today there were many more.
T: After the first set, it seemed like coach Stojchev was a bit angry with you.
Maa: Probably. I think that and a few other things frustrated him. We played pretty good volleyball in the first two sets because they were a good team. But we made a lot of little mistakes, so I think it was not just the coach, but the whole team.
T: There were a lot of serve errors. Do you think that was influenced by the venue (gymnasium)?
Maa: Well, it's true that depending on the venue, it can be difficult to serve. But it's not good to use that as an excuse. Today, I wasn't able to put enough pressure on my opponent with my serve. I don't know exactly why, but on the other hand, my opponent's serve was a little slower, so I think it's a case of both sides being the same.
T: We have a day off tomorrow for the third place match, will that help you?
Maa: Yeah, it definitely helps physically. We don't know who we're going to play yet, but it's nice to have the time to rest. I don't know how it works out, but I'm just grateful to have the time to rest.
Photo: CEV, TOSHIKI
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