UPS AND DOWNS OF WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

The country's leading volleyball club, Azerrail, has recently completed another European campaign. As was the case last year, the club was knocked out of the competition at the first play-off stage. But unlike last year's Champions League, this year's competition gave rise to plenty of speculation.

The latest involvement of the Azerbaijani volleyball team in the Champions League had much in common with last year's tournament. At the group stage of Europe's most prestigious volleyball cup competition, Faig Garayev's team did not perform in a very consistent fashion, to put it mildly. For instance, we may recall Azerrail's memorable away win over the strong Eczacibasi. A week later, however, the Azerbaijani volleyball players suffered a devastating home defeat at the hands of the same Turkish team. After completion of the Champions League group stage, the country's volleyball fans probably had a slight sense of deja vu because, in the last 16 of the competition, as was the case at the same stage last year, Azerrail had to encounter the Italians of Bergamo. Last year the Azerbaijani players put up stiff resistance to the strong Italian club. In the first, away, game, the Azerbaijani team was defeated 3:1. This, however, left Azerrail with the hope that they could beat the Italians at home 3:0, thus winning on aggregate. And when the Azerbaijani team went into a 2:0 lead at home, it seemed that the Italians, spearheaded by world stars Angelina Grun and Francesca Picinini, would soon be crushed. But our team lost the third set, and went on to lose the whole match, 3:2. 

This time, last year's scenario could not be repeated, even though it was quite reassuring that three Azerbaijani players received individual awards from the European Volleyball Confederation at the end of the Champions League group stage. Natalya Mamedova was named best forward, Kseniya Kovalenko best blocking player, and Valeria Korotenko was named best libero. But it is common knowledge that one weak link in a chain is enough to break it. This is exactly what happened to Azerrail. In the run-up to the first leg of the last 16, our team lost its best blocker Kovalenko. And this was not through injury - the player of Azerrail and the national volleyball team went on maternity leave. With a rather short bench, every player on Faig Garayev's team matters quite a lot and the loss of Kovalenko was one that could not be made up.

The team had to look urgently for a replacement. It proved impossible to find a suitable candidate within the team, and Faig Garayev had to take on young players who were not prepared for such high-level competition. It was therefore no surprise that Azerrail suffered a crushing defeat away from home. A week later, Bergamo used its key players in Baku to win the first set and then played its bench to win the other two. As we know, Azerrail traditionally plays well in front of its own crowd, which even used to induce a reverent awe in its visiting opponents. However, during the return leg with Bergamo our team was a far cry from the team that European giants used to fear.

As a matter of fact, during the return leg in Baku, the Indoor Games Palace witnessed a rather curious incident involving Bergamo's leading player, Angelina Grun, who came under pressure from Azerbaijani volleyball fans. Some of them were not satisfied with her autograph or a picture and wanted to have something else from the player. As a result, the player had to part with all her hairpins. "What do they need my hairpins for? What are they going to do with them?" Angelina asked an R+ correspondent with a smile. "If I had known, I would have brought more hairpins here." 

As for the game itself, Angelina Grun was certainly pleased with the fact that as early as in the first set her team achieved its main goal. "Of course, after victory in the first match we felt more confident. In Baku we wanted to eliminate all doubts from the very start," she said. "It is good that we were lucky in the first set and were able to win. Even our reserve players played well and we are very happy to have won and qualified for the next round of the Champions League." According to the Bergamo captain, last year's stand-off with Azerrail was more difficult. "Last year it was certainly more difficult because we won 3:1 at home. In Baku, we got off to a bad start and were trailing 2:0. In other words, we were in a difficult situation and could have lost. But at the end of the day, everything turned out well," Grun said. "I think Azerrail is relying on younger players this year. I believe that they will develop as professionals and show what they are capable of. Azerrail has always been a good team. This may not be our last visit to Baku and we may meet again."

In fact, the lacklustre performance against Bergamo created extensive speculation about the forthcoming dissolution of Azerrail. It was rumoured that players would be sold to foreign clubs, given the great demand from European teams. But the spokesman for the Azerbaijan Volleyball Federation, Zohrab Gozalbayli, dismissed the speculation. "National volleyball fans will not be deprived of our leading volleyball team. It will not be dissolved. All these rumours are wide of the mark," Z.Gozalbayli told R+. "Of course, we can't rule out that leading Azerbaijani players may wind up with European clubs, but they can only go out on loan. Our team has completed its Champions League campaign, while key players of Azerrail are not competing in the national championship. Therefore, it is quite possible that the national team's leading players will be loaned to European clubs for a certain period. For instance, our team captain, Natalya Mamedova, finished last season with Swiss Valero where she became a Swiss national champion."

Going back to the pressing problems, I should note that Faig Garayev will have to rely on younger players in the European Cup due in Belgium in September 2007. Olympic places will be up for grabs in the tournament. According to the schedule, teams qualifying for the semi-finals will automatically qualify for the Beijing Olympics. If we go by the previous European Cup in Croatia, where Faig Garayev's team unexpectedly won 4th prize, our team stands a good chance of qualifying for the Olympics through the European Cup. But two years ago the Azerbaijani national team had such volleyball stars as Yelena Shabovta, Inessa Gorkhmaz and Alla Hasanova. In fact, it was after the European Cup that Alla Hasanova ended her career. If we also take into account the fact that our team has lost Kseniya Kovalenko, the chances of repeating the result of two years ago are very slim. 

However, of the above-mentioned quartet, Inessa Gorkhmaz has been recalled to the national team, but the veteran's return is little consolation for the head coach because the main problem has yet to be resolved - the absence of capable replacements. If even one of the leading players receives an injury in the run-up to the European Cup, the entire team structure may collapse and our team may easily go from being favourites to win an Olympic place, to being outsiders at the European Cup.

At the same time, and in addition to the European Cup, at the end of this or at the beginning of next year, Olympic places will also be available at a qualification tournament where the Azerbaijani national team could also play in the event of failure in Belgium. By then, it is possible that Kseniya Kovalenko will have returned (but will she be in good shape?) and the national team can try to make its dream come true - qualification for the Olympics, where our country would, for the first time, be represented in team games.