The Russian-born player won her battle to become Italian and is on the list of players for VNL: “I spoke to Mazzanti, it’s going to be a long summer. I can’t wait”
Born in Iceland, raised in Russia, but Italian, very Italian of volleyball training and first membership. Ekaterina Antropova won her battle to become a full-fledged Italian player and coach Davide Mazzanti wanted to immediately reward her for this by placing her among the thirty squads for the Nations League. The Savino Del Bene Scandicci player is certainly the most important novelty in the last call-ups, an opposite of only 20 years, who from a height of 202 centimeters, managed to achieve the beauty of 384 points in the regular season, despite a job non-continuous by Massimo Barbolini.
You and your family have fought a long battle and won it. And now Italy’s call has also arrived. Many innovations have characterized his last period.
“Everything came together and I still have to understand what happened. Being called up for the Italian national team was a unique emotion. Another significant step for my career. I will be able to compare myself with the best players in the world and it will be interesting see live all those volleyball players I’ve followed so far on television. Your role models now become your opponents”.
Did you have the opportunity to speak with Mazzanti?
“Yes, I did, we met and he came to see some of our training sessions. He asked me mostly for general information regarding the season and told me what awaits us. It will be a very long summer for me.”
In the national team he will have to deal with a certain Paola Egonu in his role…
“My competition is not only with Paola, but with many girls who will be part of the group. I see this as something positive and I am very excited and happy to start this journey, because there are players who know what it means to work and do it hard. I’m very curious to see what kind of training we will do. It will be fun.”
In a blue key, but not only, do you see the possibility of your evolution as a spiker?
“In order to play, I’d be willing to play as a libero. I don’t want to limit myself to the possibility of improving, I can enter the field as a spiker, as an opposite, anything goes for me”.
In the championship, however, with his team there was the elimination in the semifinal against Milan. Have you disposed of this bitterness?
“Actually, we’re experiencing strange sensations. We had won the first race and there wasn’t the impression in the group that everything would be over anytime soon. We still don’t realize that it’s over and that the time has also come for goodbye between we”.
What season has this been for you for Savino Del Bene?
“It was a very good season, one of growth, even compared to last year. We lost a few games, left a few points on the road and this allowed us to reach second place in the regular season. All enhanced by the victory in the Cev Cup which is our second European trophy in a row after last year’s Challenge. In the head there is always the desire to achieve perfection even if I know it is impossible. The desire to do more and better is there It has always been and it will be this time too. Both personal and team goals are high, aiming as high as possible. Next year, I am convinced, there will be a really very good championship.”
In what aspects do you think you can still grow?
“There are many aspects, especially in the fundamentals. I only did a year in A2 and I didn’t have a lot of experience behind me before arriving in A1. But I also have a great desire to do. I’m quite satisfied with what I did in the course of this season, but now we have to move forward and not stop.”
May 7, 2023 (change May 7, 2023 | 12:42)
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