PVL: Indians players can grow if used properly, says Hyderabad Black Hawks head coach Ruben Wolochin
A 15-point system may be new to both, Ruben Wolochin and Luis Arias, but the Hyderabad Black Hawks duo is ready to adapt and overcome.
Argentina's Wolochin – the only foreign head coach in the upcoming Rupay Prime Volleyball League – has made a number of tweaks to the training regime to accommodate the change in the points system. Arias – from Venezuela, believes that it will pose a unique challenge to the players.
The international scoring rules mandate that the first team to score 25 points are awarded the set; the fifth set, if necessary, is played for 15 points.
“What I can say as a coach is that we’ve been adjusting the training system to lot more specifics as the margin of error is minimal," Wolochin explained to the question from Hindustan Times. "We realise that a player can have two turns of serve at maximum in a 15-point set. When we count the Super Serve, this is further shortened. (Super Serve is an addition in the Prime Volleyball League format, where each ace will give the serving team two points).
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“We also adjust in terms of preparations because the playing time is shorter. A set of 15 points takes 9-10 minutes maximum, so your attention to details and the way you strategize needs to be very fast. We try to prepare by playing small games (in training) so the players don’t see it as a threat.”
Arias, meanwhile, considers this as a challenge.
“As a challenge, how the team takes on this 15-point thing. As an athlete, every kind of score system generates pressure and challenge when you’re playing. In a 15-point set, the fast pace of this generates adrenaline," tells the Venezuelan who was also a member of the country's Tokyo Olympics squad.
"Athletic players who can grow"
The arrival of a foreign coach is almost guaranteed to shake things up in the court. Wolochin brings with himself a coaching experience of over 30 years across Europe (Hungary, Germany, Finland, Denmark, and Spain) and South America. The language had initially been a barrier for Wolochin but once the players began to adapt with his style of play, “the language of volleyball,” as he fondly says, took over.
“Training hasn’t been too different. I’m trying to adapt to the system we’re using in training. I normally say that for me, the language we speak can be kept aside because it is all about the language of volleyball," says the Argentinian.
Wolochin brings with himself a fast-paced style of volleyball and is impressed with the speed at which the Indian players have adapted to his system. India's international player Vipul Kumar, as well as U23 Asian Championships silver-medallist Amit Gulia are among the major Indian stars in the Hyderabad roster.
“We’re trying to upgrade the players into a new system, a little bit of faster volleyball. They’ve accepted the challenge nicely. I see a lot of players with big potential at a physical point of view. I always say ‘A big player can learn but a small player cannot grow' (implying that a player who is eager to learn is always big) Here, we’ve seen so far that these (Indians) are athletic players who can grow if they’re used properly,” Wolochin observes.
When asked about his experience of training alongside the Indian players, Arias said that they are "eager to listen" as well as sharing their own experiences.
“It has been very productive. The players have also made big progress. In spite of the young age, they are showing commitment every day and it is a very positive sign. They’re very eager to listen and they are very eager to share experience with the local players. It has been a great experience for team as a whole, not only for him," says the Venezuela star.
Prime Volleyball League begins on February 5 and Hyderabad will be taking on Kochi Blue Spikers in the opening game of the tournament.
Watch Hyderabad Black Hawks vs Kochi Blue Spikers – Live on SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) & SONY TEN 2 (Malayalam) channels at 7:00 pm IST on 5th February 2022
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