Pre-season evaluations2: Ferhat Akbaş

What are your thoughts on the transfer of the captain of the Canadian National Team, Alexa Gray?

Alexa Gray plays a very wise game on the court. There is a game structure that we felt the need for as a team throughout the last season. She was a player I had followed closely for years. The transfer process was very fast. I had a very good communication with her from the very beginning. Her carrying the Canadian National Team means a lot to me. In the last match of the Italian championship series, she impressed everyone who watched her. She has a very important place in my game plan for the next season.

How do you evaluate the transfer of Naz Aydemir Akyol?

Naz is a winner. That's the biggest reason she's here. I expect team leadership from her. I am sure that she will balance very well on and off the field. She grew up here and she is back to her home. We know each other very well. We're taking a brand-new path at the club that she knows so well. I will be her biggest supporter on this path.

What are your expectations from Jovana Stevanovic in the new season?

Throughout her career, Jovana Stevanovic has always been an athlete respected by both her rivals and her teammates. She knows very well how to stay cool in difficult and tense moments. She's been on the field in the biggest games for the top teams for years. The stability is there. I'm sure she will raise our level of experience in this position.

What would you like to say about Martyna Czyrnianska?

Martyna suffered an unfortunate abdominal injury while playing for the Polish National Team. She missed the European Championship for the progress of her treatment, but I think she will catch up with the Olympic Qualifications. She is very brave and talented. She stepped out of his comfort zone at a very young age to become one of the symbols of this club. She knows my confidence in her for this big move in her career. It will be enjoyable for our club to watch her progress.

What are your expectations from your players on pre-season?

We are in the period of pre-season physical loading of players. My biggest expectation from the players during this period is that they try to develop their individual skills for the benefit of the team system. It is a very difficult process to adapt to the team system under intense physical work. In this process, what we want from our players is to push their limits physically and tactically. Because, due to the busy match schedule, we do not have the opportunity to work so intensely and individually.

What are your views on the new season before the season starts?

The league fixture starts with important and difficult matches. I think that starting the league with tough matches will bring benefits in the long run. We will go out on the field to win every game. But what we need to focus on in the first process is the quality of our game. We will focus on our own performance for most of the matches, and we will play so many games in a short time. We have a plan where we divide the whole season into two big parts. We will proceed in line with our plan.

Can we learn your thoughts about the new hall?

This season, we will continue to play our home matches in Ayazağa, and our Play-Off and Champions League matches at Burhan Felek Vestel Volleyball Hall. We had the opportunity to work and progress on our project, which excited us very much before the season. Our management is putting a lot of effort into this. We will have our new sports hall as soon as possible. We mobilized as a whole club to train new players and participate in matches in a hall that is an example to the world. I am proud to be involved in and contribute to this project that reflects Eczacıbaşı's vision and quality.

What are your views on the great achievements of our A National Team?

During a long summer period, our national team made us proud and will continue to do so on the way to the Olympics. This championship is a result that brightens the future of volleyball. The interest of young girls in volleyball will increase even more in this path opened by our national team. The Turkish women has proven once again that she will not recognize any obstacles in front of her. My heartfelt congratulations to everyone involved.