Ningbo (China)

Consistency, steadiness, stability are common positive adjectives used to describe Volleyball teams. These words identify a moral characteristic rather than technical skills but the performance level depends on both. If two teams (having the same technical value) want to win, they’ll have to rely on their moral ability to make their best without mistakes. Nobody can forget how to pass or attack abruptly, but when they loose confidence even the very easy fundamentals turn out to be difficult. That’s why often players seem to loose suddenly their skills and coaches demand consistency so frequently.

Let’s see today’s three match focusing mainly on the steadiness level/capacity of the six teams.

Holland - Poland 3 - 0

The Orange team’s confidence has never been so high. Dutch team started the World Grand Prix qualification (3-5 July) playing poorly, but soon since then their progress was amazing. Today’s match was a perfect sample to explain the power of confidence. At the beginning of each set Holland was easily in the lead and Poland went back. Selinger’s girls played the crucial points without any worry’s hint. Furthermore they showed, one more time, an excellent “game’s volume” (see yesterday commentary). They weren’t affected by any errors they had done and their ability and smoothness were so remarkable indeed. The Dutch players consistency didn’t follow the discontinuous results progress, they stayed steady!
Poland was the other side of the coin: unpredictable, fragile and prepared to accept the forecast defeat.

China – Russia 3 - 0

China team considers Russia a stronger opponent and Chinese players were strong-minded and resolute to face a tough match. They played every single rallies knowing that only with a great defence they could have had a chance to win. The match, except the first set when Russia’s team was sluggish and wavering, was a tough match. The biggest aim for Chinese coach was to slow down the attack of Russian giant hitters. It was impressive to compare the quick moves of the Chinese players (chasing each flying ball) with the Russian slowness.
Even today’s second match has been fairly decided by the consistency because the Russian setter made avoidable errors in crucial points.

Italy - Brazil 3 - 1

In the third match consistency didn’t play a main role because both teams were well- provided. The results depended on small technical details.
In this kind of games (the two teams have the same technical value and play with right approach) it is possible to recognize the different strategies. When players can manage both technical gestures and tactical request carefully and at the same time., the match is very enjoyable. But if the coach plans to serve in a specific area and to block and dig a specific direction, then the players have to serve there (exactly there and not further nor closer) and the rest of the team have to follow the rest of the instructions.
Sometimes it is possible to see if the athletes are focused more on avoiding mistakes than on achieving the expected target.
Italy-Brazil was one of these enjoyable matches: technique, tactic, enthusiasm and fun were all together.

P.S. consistency could be not measured, it’s hard to improve. It could unexpectedly disappear and sometimes it is abused to explain the defeats.
Consistency doesn’t really score points. The teams have to spike better, to pass precisely, to jump higher etc. But if you don’t guarantee a stable level of performance, victory is very improbable.

Bye bye andrea zorzi