The heart split between beach and indoor: Kusti Nolvak explains his decision to join Team Estonia
Feature
The setter of Estonia is a pro beach volleyball player but he has also played indoors. The last two seasons he "came back" to indoor and he joined for the first time his National Team and the EuroVolley as well.
When and why did you decide to come back to indoor Volleyball?
The decision was made after splitting with my beach volleyball partner: I couldn’t find another partner in Estonia with the same ambitions and goals and since I still feel a strong passion for the sport at the highest level and I received an offer from an Estonian indoor club, I said “ok, let’s try”.
What were the main challenges you faced when going back to indoor Volleyball after 10 years of playing beach?
First, a physical adaptation: the first few months were really hard for my knees, calves, everything was too much. Playing on the ground instead of on the sand means stopping and impact are completely different. Then the environmental adaptation: my body was quite used to being in the sun (he smiles) so I got sick with different viruses for quite a long period of the winter season upon returning to indoor. And finally the play adaptation: in defense, initially I wanted to touch every ball due to Beach Volleyball habits, but indoor volleyball has really, like kind of strict roles.
How do you feel about being at the European Championship with the national team for the first time in indoor volleyball?
It feels really, really nice. There are also here some big differences between the Beach Volleyball European Championships where everything is much smaller, the groups are smaller, the tournaments are smaller…while indoor EuroVolley brings more attention and the players enjoy it, but it can be also too much, even overwhelming for the younger ones.
"Now indoor volleyball is faster and stronger than 10 years ago. In block or defense it's more about positioning and reflexes than about reading the game. And the speed is completely different."
What are your plans after the European Championship?
I will stay with my indoor club where I live. Plans I make are never more than one year ahead, considering family factors like kindergarten for my two kids.
How do you feel about having your family here at the European Championships?
It's amazing, it's the first time at EuroVolley also for my kids. They travelled a lot with me during Beach Volleyball seasons, so it's kind of normal for me to see them on the stands, but I don't take it for granted.
What are your thoughts on the team's performance and future at the CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men?
We are enjoying it a lot in terms of experience, finding it unexpectedly really nice. In terms of results, for sure, we wished for better results, but I understand that good days and bad days can happen. For the upcoming matches, our team needs to find good rhythm and don't think about the results too much, but play with hunger.
What about your future, potentially returning to beach volleyball or coaching, but where?
It's really difficult to tell now, it depends on the opportunities that are coming at me. Regarding coaching it could be something, yeah. But when I think about coaching, I think about Beach Volleyball. Not indoor.