If Spain has been raising its level in women's volleyball in the last decade, it has largely been for the work done by Pascual Saurín (February 26, 1967) and his coaching staff. They have already passed 13 years since he was appointed in 2012 as national coach of a team that, in terms of achievements, has little to do with the current one. A period in which they have consecrated as a fixed in the EuroVolley and now make the leap to the big volleyball screen. He World and Türkiye awaits them, but first goes through MARK To talk about this milestone.
Enjoying the competition would be too conformist. We have to get out of here with the feeling that people talk about us for good
ASK. There are hours for your debut before the current European champions, how do you see the match against Türkiye?
R. The truth is that wanting to start. It may not be the best rival to start or maybe. The first matches in this type of event usually takes its toll, we always need to acclimatize a little more. Not for the Yet Lag or anything like that, but for the game. On Thursday we did the first training on the game and the pressure of what it is to debut in a World Cup was already noticeable. Playing against Türkiye may come well because it is against the European champions and because it is to free us, take the pressure of this debut in the championship. The team is very motivated, the girls are very motivated, but we cannot forget that it is Türkiye, one of the candidates to be on the podium. We must think about this game, then the next and then in the next, we cannot let ourselves carry. What yes, we have already talked about and we have made a conjure to play at our maximum level we can and do not have complexes to play against anyone.
Pascual Saurín, on the left, giving indications accompanied by Higinio Artiles, his assistant
Q. The first test of this level, I think it arrived in the European League match against Sweden when you measured one of the best players in the world, Isabelle Haak. Now, with the difference that it will not be one, there will be many and among them Melissa Vargas and Hande Baladin stand out.
R. Many times that also plays a bad pass, knowing them and respecting them too much. We cannot forget that many of these players, for which we are in this volleyball, we follow up and even some can be an idol of a player of ours. They are first -level players and every volleyball player looks at the best level, that can be present on the court, but when the meeting we have to focus on giving our best, our level has to leave on the track and then we cannot fool ourselves, it will depend a lot on what Türkiye does. If Türkiye plays at its maximum level, few options we will have, but we still can't think that defeat is there, but we have to continue. Because I think this will help us in order to play the following meetings. If we are able to face Türkiye, surely against the other teams it is easier for us or at least play more tranquility and more ease. But come on, it is what you have said, that Türkiye not only has two players, they are all first level. All are already very experienced and very tanned.
We cannot rule out trying to win a game or two games, because we have to go for all always
Q. 43 years have passed, that's a long time. Volleyball has changed a lot since then. I compare a lot of this project with the one with women's football. In the 2015 World Cup, they set out to add a point for the first time, in 2019 the first victory and the pass to the qualifiers arrived, and then the title in 2023. I do not say that you will win in eight years, that hopefully, but … now what goal do you raise for this tournament?
R. Enjoying the competition is taken for granted. Come to a World Cup is not easy to get, even being 32 teams, there are others with a level that have been left out. Therefore, easy, it is not. Therefore, enjoying the competition would be too conformist and we have to get out of here with the feeling that people talk about us. And that when they do, it has to be for good because we have been a competitive team that has ambition and looking for points. What the reward is to make a set? Perfect. Two? Brilliant. All three? Far better. Because right now nobody expects anything from us, but in these three games we want to find a victory and we will try by all media. If we get it, it will be good, if we do not, it will be part of the process to achieve it. Of course, surely we will have grown up in mind, which is what a team needs to compete at this level.
The selection celebrating the two victories in the friendlies prior to the World Cup against Kenia and Vietnam
Q. After Türkiye I lowers a step, because neither Canada nor Bulgaria have achieved great things these years. Yes, they are accustomed to compete in the VNL, but they are more affordable. The same may be that victory …
R. Breaking that possible pressure that we can have in the debut game against Türkiye can come in handy in the sense of facing the second game already more released. So then play against teams that are slightly lower than Türkiye, but not so much because they are playing the VNL that gives you another level of competition and are two teams that are very shot. But it is true that for us they are two rivals that will allow us to play, that will allow us to do things. That is the mentality with which we have to face these two games. That is why we cannot rule out trying to win a game or two games, because we have to go for all. That Türkiye will make it very, very difficult, sure, but then Canada and Bulgaria we will see what we are capable of. They are two teams that are playing many things from the first game and the team that loses can go out with a little disrupted morals, those things are what we have to take advantage of because for that we have come here: to play these three games at maximum intensity.
It is true that the team has changed many things about the first period, but also that our level is the one. (…) We are the same team, only now the players are much more prepared
Q. The last European League was not good in terms of results, I do not know whether or notes there have been a change in the team from that moment. What changes do you expect to see about that competition?
R. Obviously everything has changed with respect to the European League. There we spent a process that many of the players needed to recover mentally and physically, much more than to raise a competition as demanding as the Golden League, because for us it is a very demanding competition where we always have to give the best level to be among the best teams. I think there were players there that really needed to rest than play. We realized during the course of that Golden League that in the end the players needed more that break than the game in which they were competing. In the end, it is a commitment that we have to fulfill because in the end the ranking is where we seek to raise positions.
Now, in this second period a totally different team has been seen, in everything. The mentality is more than recovered and I believe that we are going with a very positive attitude towards the competition. We also know what level is here and that we cannot come to 50 or 60%. No, we need to come to 100%World Cup. If we are not 100% it is impossible to compete and that we were clear from the preparation of the World Cup. It is true that the team has changed many things with respect to the first period, but it is also true that our level is what it is. We have not transformed into a team that will do things above the other. We are the same team, only now with the players much more prepared to face this competition.
María Schlegel jumping to attack above Croatia blockade
Q. How is Ana Escamilla? We are seeing a very good evolution in your game and even playing at the previous level of the lesion in some sections.
R. Ana Escamilla is an example. In the Golden League she was a player that we had to recover because she had been stopped for a long time and, little by little, she has to go into competition. It is now at a much greater level of demand and it is clear that you still need your time. Perhaps he has not recovered all his level, but he has been quite rewarding for everyone to see her compete because she is a player who can give us a lot, but still I think we have to depend so much on her. Right now our tips, for example, between María Schlegel, María Segura and Ana Escamilla, among the three, I believe that this competition is still very young, which can contribute but is still young and you may need to go more quietly.
But these three players are changes that can be made and any of the three give us a lot.
P. Lucía Varela may be another case of exponential growth.
R. Lucia Varela is at another level. For example, she is a player who perhaps paid a lot to compete in the Golden because she needed to recover and rest, but that right now, in this period of the World Cup, in this preparation, Lucía Varela has made an impressive leap and is playing at a very, very good level. Right now, it is one of the fundamental pieces of the team.
Q. In those friendlies against Vietnam and Kenya, it is striking that they are above the FIVB ranking …
R. Well, that's something that I think people should know. It is that Vietnam has 155 points in the ranking and Kenya 152, which are 22 and 23 in the world. We are talking about that when we win, we do not beat anyone and that when we lose, we lose with everyone. It seems that this does not have much merit. I am never going to boast of winning and losing, or anything, but you always have to give merit to anything. And those games for us have been a good filming. First to fell and then to play against two rivals, two World Cups, and that one of them is even Olympic such as Kenya. And not everyone is lucky enough to play games.
I want the level of concentration to be able to maintain it to compete. And if we have to go on the 27th, with our heads very high. That people see that this team fights and competes, because it is not the first time
Q. It is the first time that 32 teams compete and that may open the fan a little, but regardless of that, if tomorrow you had to make the suitcase, what should happen to do it with the duties done?
R. I am clear that we are going to focus a lot on us. One of the biggest concerns I have is that we are not able to maintain, to be stable, when these teams show their level of truth. That is, they are strong on the network, they are strong in the serve … because they are teams that are at a very high level and that we are not accustomed to playing against them.
So, we have to focus a lot on maintaining that, being able to overcome it, that our level is always visible on the court. I think that if we are able to play what we know how to play … guarantee of winning, I can't give because this is a sport and here can wins anyone. It is clear that the silly day can have anyone and you never know. Therefore, I want the level of concentration to be able to maintain it and thus be able to compete. And if we have to go on the 27th, with our heads very high. That people see that this team fights and this team competes, because it is not the first time. We have gone to very demanding competitions and people have always been very happy with this type of fights.
