Daniele Santarelli: 'We played better than yesterday'

Creation Date: June 19, 2025 22:02

The National Women's Volleyball Team defeated Canada 3-0 in the second match of the second week of the Nations League hosted by Istanbul, making it 6 out of 6. Speaking to the press after the match, National Women's Volleyball Team Head Coach Daniele Santarelli said, "Yesterday was a normal day. My players accepted that. We could have done more. We talked about the things we couldn't do in the locker room. We knew we weren't at the level we wanted. We talked about that among ourselves. We were able to overcome the simple things today. We played better today than yesterday."

"I want the whole team to develop at the same time, progress and play with the same logic"

Santarelli stated that he will continue to rotate and said, "Because I don't think of the team as just 14 people. Our team is a large squad of 20 people. I want the whole team to develop at the same time, progress and play with the same logic. I want to create a game system. For this, I will continue to change my players, play them constantly, and play with different players. We will decide whether it is good or bad in the end. Most teams do not do this. Teams find their specific 6 and continue to play. As Turkey, we want all my players to know that this jersey is very valuable. I believe that everyone should work to deserve this jersey. If I can create a large squad with 20 players in this mentality, I think we can all achieve success together. I will continue to play with the new 6. Because I want to give all my players a chance to show me what they can do. I want them to have the opportunity. Vargas, Zehra Güneş, these are players who need to play and also rest. Because they haven't played a match after a long break. They need to catch up with the match rhythm."

EBRAR KAKARAKURT: 'A PERFECT FEELING'

Expressing that it was a wonderful feeling to play in front of the Istanbul audience, Ebrar Karakurt said, "If I am not mistaken, the VNL audience record was broken. The audience is a driving force behind us. We thank them for their support. We invite all our people to our matches."

Meliha Diken, who stated that playing in Istanbul was special for them, said, "Normally, we would play our national team matches in Ankara. It is being played in Istanbul after a long time. It makes us very happy to see such an atmosphere. I hope that even more people can come in the coming days. It is special and valuable for us."

GİZEM ÖRGE: 'WE WANT TO LEAVE HERE UNDEFEATED'

Gizem Örge, who stated that she got on the field after about 2 months, said, "It was my first match after 2 months as an individual. It was great to get back on the field in front of our fans in Istanbul. I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited. No matter how experienced you are, playing at home in such a beautiful atmosphere is a driving force. We continue on our way with 6 out of 6. Hopefully, we want to finish the final stage undefeated and get our name in the final."

Örge, who stated that there is a great harmony between the young volleyball players in the team, said, "The young people are extremely sweet, respectful, and talented. They give energy and strength. They give hope for the future. That's why I think that blending experienced names with young and talented names will be beneficial for us as a volleyball country in the coming years. They are already very excited. They play in the system with us. They are also learning slowly. We want to help them in any way we can. They are also adapting very quickly."

Gizem Örge, who said that they wanted to leave Istanbul undefeated, said, "We want to progress step by step. Tomorrow we will prepare for South Korea. Then there is the Brazil match. Hopefully, we will close this stage undefeated."