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).
Eric Lepke's post-match comments
-How do you feel looking back on today's game?
Lepke: It was a difficult race. Roubaix is a strong opponent. We beat them last time and we believed we could do the same tonight, but unfortunately we were not at our best. You can't beat such a strong opponent unless you give your all.
- But you'll have to face the same opponent again soon (Monza will play Civitanova in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals on January 3rd local time).
Lepke: Yes, we'll have a rematch soon. I'm excited about it. It'll be a very tough match, different from today's, but I believe we'll win next time.
-This season, you've often played as an opposite hitter in addition to your main position as an outside hitter. What do you think about this?
Lepke: We have good players on the team. Ai Takahashi, Steve Maher, Arthur Schwartz, and others are all strong players. Whatever the team needs me to do, I'm ready to step on the court. Playing as an opposite is fun. I played as an opposite when I was younger, so it brings back memories.
-I'd like to ask you about Ai. You seem to have a very good relationship with Ai.
Lepke: Yes. I played with Ai when he first came to Italy in Padua. We have been friends since then, but now we can speak each other, whereas at that time he didn't speak Italian or English. He is a very nice guy. When I found out that he was going to play at Monza, I was very happy to play with him again. He has improved a lot since we played together in Padua. As he said, he has improved a lot in the last few years. I am very happy to see him play at this level. I also love seeing his fans. I can't believe the impact he has on the game as a volleyball player. It's very amazing. Wherever we go, whether in Portugal or Greece, there are always Ai fans there. It's a really cool sight and it's very fun to play with him again.
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