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National Team News
In the opening match of the #EuroVolleyU22M Pool D qualifier, the Latvian men’s national team defeated Croatia 3-1 (25-19, 18-25, 25-20, 25-23) on Thursday at the Daugavpils Olympic Centre.
Latvia started the first set strong (8:1), but the score later narrowed to 13:11 and 19:18. Armands Rokjāns pushed it to 20:18 and followed up with an ace (21:18), while Leo Aleksandrs Štolcs sealed the set with a block (25-19).
In the second set, the home team fell behind (6:10) after a transition play by Croatian Ivan Vuk. Latvia managed to level the game, but the visitors regained the lead. Towards the end, Gabriel Šunjo's block gave Croatia a six-point advantage, and Latvia lost the set 18-25.
In the third set, Latvia built a solid lead early on (10:5), thanks to a block from Rokjāns. The guests improved their play and closed the gap several times, but the hosts pulled away again and secured the set 25-20.
In the fourth set, Latvia gained a slight advantage and held it steadily. Croatian player Budimir Oliver Škorić’s serve tied the score at 17:17, but Kristers Landzāns delivered an ace with help from the net (19:17). Rokjāns made it 24:22, and Landzāns scored the final point of the match (25-23).
Top scorers for Latvia were Armands Rokjāns (23 points, including four aces), Kristers Landzāns (17), Leo Aleksandrs Štolcs (11 points, including two blocks), Marats Selivanovs (7), and Ņikita Dimitrijevs (6). For Croatia, Ivan Vuk and Budimir Oliver Škorić stood out with 16 and 15 points respectively.
“This win is no surprise. We have played Croatia twice before and won both times. We knew they were similar to our team and that we could beat them,” said Latvian player Armands Rokjāns. “Today I just felt good – I was well-rested after playing with the senior team. The Daugavpils Olympic Centre gives us extra energy, and the team atmosphere is very friendly.”
“In key moments and points, we just weren’t on the court. There were a few small things that the opponents capitalised on. Physically they are very strong, while we are not as tall, so we need to capitalise on every point we can get - but in crucial moments, we didn’t manage,” admitted Croatian player Ivan Vuk. “They are a really good team, they look well-connected and seem to have trained together for a long time.”
What do you think of Daugavpils? “We came from Zagreb, and Daugavpils is a small and very nice city. I noticed how much effort you put into sports and everything looks really good overall,” said the Croatian player.
Latvia’s head coach Mārcis Obrumans: “We definitely had confidence even before the match. The start went really well, which gave us even more confidence. Of course, there were nerves in the first match, but starting off with successful plays led to positive momentum and energy. At times, our serve reception was not great, but we managed to convert tough balls into points, which has often been an issue for us. Our attack was fairly diverse, and even when the quality of passing dropped, we stayed patient and scored points.”
In the other Group D match today, Poland defeated Israel 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 25-23, 18-25, 15-9).
Group standings after day one: Latvia – 3 points, Poland – 2, Israel – 1, Croatia – 0.
How does it feel to be at the top of the group? “It’s always a good feeling to be at the top of the standings. The road ahead won’t be easy, but I hope we’ll do everything to stay near the top as long as possible - and hopefully also at the end of the tournament,” said Latvia’s head coach, already thinking about the next match. “The Israeli team is quite powerful. If we approach the game correctly... We may not be considered tournament favourites, but the crowd really pushed us today. On Friday, we expect even more fans, and we enjoy playing in Daugavpils.”
Latvian National Team Roster:
Kristaps Pelēkais (Kuldīga District Sports School/MSĢ), Arturs Gulovs (Riga Volleyball School/MSĢ), Marats Selivanovs (Riga Volleyball School), Emīls Ieviņš, Rainers Veips, Kristers Landzāns (all – Jēkabpils Sports School), Ivans Rustkovs, Sandis Cimotišs, Ņikita Dimitrijevs, Daņila Mironovs (all – Daugavpils Sports School), Ingars Blumbergs (Talsi District Sports School), Indars Asars (Talsi District Sports School/MSĢ), Leo Aleksandrs Štolcs, Renārs Vinšteins (both – Minusa Volleyball School), Kristofers Kļaviņš (St. Mary’s College, USA), and Armands Rokjāns (SK “Jēkabpils Lūši”).
Coaching staff: Head coach Mārcis Obrumans is assisted by coach Ģirts Mārtiņsons, physiotherapist Līze Kurakina, statistician Aivis Kokins and team manager Andris Nuķis.