National team?s inexperience shows
The men’s national volleyball team only managed to collect one point from its two home games against the Netherlands on June 25 and 26 in Xanthi, going down 3-0 and 3-2 respectively in the penultimate round of games for the European League group stage.
In the first match on Saturday the Dutch won 25-21, 25-18, 25-21 after a dismal performance by the hosts, who desperately lack experience as a team, although such games can only help them progress.
On Sunday the Greeks were much better and the result was only down to their inconsistency.
The visitors won 25-23, 18-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-10, with their experience making the difference when the going got tough for them at the Philippos Amiridis Arena.
The most impressive moment during the match was Greece?s comeback from 10 points down (23-13) to just one point (24-23).
?We lost to a better side. Nevertheless we retain something useful from every game for the future. In this game we used outside hitters from the Under-17 team and gave them some playing time ahead of the World Championship in Argentina,? said Greece coach Alekos Leonis.
Blocker Giorgos Petreas said the team showed fighting spirit but suffers from a lack of chemistry.
The women?s national team lost twice to France at Xanthi, both times with a 3-1 score.
