Rouen, France, May 26, 2018 – France coach Laurent Tillie emphasised the tough lesson from their 3-1 win over Japan at the FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Saturday.
France coach Laurent Tillie: “What came out from this game is that we need to learn to win with a struggle in order to get better. We played the first set perfectly but it is almost systematic that whenever you win the first one too easily, the next one is a loss just as easily. We got frustrated as usual and it’s tough to control. The arms are getting stiff and the frustration provokes silly mistakes, which cost us the set when it could have been finished earlier. We must work on this spirit during practice. Luckily, Rossard and Chinenyeze brought us a lot energy when subbing in and we won the game.”
France player Jennia Grebennikov: “It’s a good win. They played really quick and it was not easy for us to apprehend but got there eventually. I feel like the the national team are not all ready, it feels not as high and strong as the Italian League or the Champions League, but I am sure everybody will be at their best in the final round. I hope that a lot of French fans will show up to support us in Lille. I am confident it will be packed.”
Japan player Masahiro Sekita: “Since we are shorter in height than France, we had to play faster in short tempo, which put some pressure on them. We also defended well, which compensated for our lack of height. We are very happy with this game.”