Latvia finishes home weekend with emphatic win over Israel

The Latvian women’s national team secured a 3-0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-13) victory over Israel in a European Silver League match held in Jelgava to keep a perfect record upon completion of the first round of competition.

Latvia scored the first point of the match through an attack by Karmena Struka. The home team built a solid lead by winning five consecutive points, including three aces in a row by Struka, thus taking the lead to 7:3. After a four-point run, Israel edged ahead, but Latvia responded with three straight points, including a block by Struka, thus regaining the advantage at 13:11. Israel twice equalised, the last time at 15:15, but Latvia pulled away at the end of the set, closing it out 25-17 with a quick attack by Anna Rīta.

In the second set, Lāsma Ozola replaced Rīta, while Israel made no substitutions. The score remained close up to 5:5, after which the home team gradually increased their lead to 13:7, capped by an ace from Elvita Dolotova that clipped the net. Israel came no closer than within three points (11:14 and 13:16), and after two unreturnable serves from Marta Kamēlija Levinska, Latvia extended their lead to 19:13. Just before set point, Latvia’s head coach Daniele Mario Capriotti brought on Katrīna Struka for Paula Nikola Ņečiporuka, and Katrīna, blocking alongside her sister Karmena, ended the set at 25-19.

In the third set, Latvia’s first point came from a Dolotova attack. Karmena Struka’s powerful serve pushed Latvia to a 7:2 lead, which was quickly extended to a 10-point advantage (17:7) after an attack by Ņečiporuka. The match concluded with an ace by substitute Līva Sola, finalising the set at 25-13.

For Latvia, Marta Kamēlija Levinska led all scorers with 23 points, including five aces and three blocks. Karmena Struka tallied nine points, four of them from serves. Ņečiporuka added eight points, while Anija Jurdža contributed seven. On the Israeli side, Valeriia Gamanovich stood out with 18 points.

Latvia outperformed Israel in aces (13-0) and blocks (10-3).

Best Player awards were given to Ņečiporuka (Latvia) and Gamanovich (Israel).

“Before the match, Coach Capriotti emphasised focusing on our own game, serving aggressively, and taking risks. We analysed their middle blocker Ella Carolina Saada and opposite Valeriia Gamanovich. The strategy was to target their zones with our serves to disrupt their attack – and it worked. Our strong serving also helped shut down their middle attacks,” said Latvian opposite Marta Kamēlija Levinska. “We served and received very well today, which I think were the main reasons for our win. We also performed well at the net, and our powerful serves didn’t let Israel recover easily. They have good players, and we knew from video analysis it wouldn’t be easy. They didn’t seem fully in sync yet, but individually they are strong athletes. I was most impressed by their opposite.”

“There was some uncertainty about how well we had built synergy in these two weeks, especially with a few injuries in the team. But during the match we adapted very well and communicated actively, which really helped. Team chemistry builds best in challenging moments. These matches were very helpful and a big step forward,” Levinska added.

Israel’s opposite and attack leader Valeriia Gamanovich commented: “Our game plan was to focus more on our own performance, to play as well as we could, give it our all, and identify what we need to improve. I think we need to work on the first touch - with better serves or passes, we could put more pressure on our opponents. Latvia impressed me with their serving. They really emphasised aggressive serves, and their solid passing enabled them to execute attacks from all positions.”

Asked about Israel’s goals in the tournament, Gamanovich responded: “The goal is always to win - regardless of whether it happens or not, the goal is always victory.”

Interestingly, all three teams in the first Jelgava round - including Israel - are coached by Italian specialists. Israel’s head coach is Luca Secchi.

“He is an excellent coach who has worked for years in Italy’s Serie A. He has done a great job with this team in a challenging situation, and I commend him for that,” said Latvian head coach Daniele Mario Capriotti.

On Saturday, Israel beat the Faroe Islands 3-0 (25-14, 25-19, 25-14). Vitalia Marmen scored 17 points, while Shirel Ganah added 16. For the Faroese team, Anja Sonnedottir Danielsen scored a third of her nine points with aces.