The Latvian men’s volleyball team will compete today with the Czech volleyball players in the away match of the European Gold League group tournament. The match in the Czech city of Karlovy Vary will start at 5 p.m.
It has already been reported that Latvian volleyball players lost 0-3 (16:25, 25:27, 16:25) to Belgium in the first match in Aalst, while Estonia lost to Tartu in 1-3 (18:25, 27:25, 18:25, 22 : 25) conceded to the Czech Republic. After that, Latvian volleyball players, playing in Liepaja, failed with 2-3 (26:24, 26:28, 19:25, 25:23, 12:15) against Estonia, but the Czech Republic with 3-0 (26:24 , 25:16, 25:12) defeated Belgium. In the third round, Latvia conceded to the Czech volleyball players 0-3 (16:25, 15:25, 25:18) as homeowners in Liepaja. Estonian volleyball players, meanwhile, beat Belgium 3-1 (29:27, 31:29, 22:25, 25:13).
The Czech Republic has three victories after three rounds, Estonia has two successes and Belgium has won one. Latvia ranks fourth in the group with one point won. Latvia will continue to play in Estonia on June 8, and the group tournament will end on June 11 in Daugavpils. Latvia met with the Czech Republic last August in two test matches, in which the Czech volleyball players were 3-1 both times. The Latvian team has played two friendly matches, losing 2-3 to the Ukrainian national team led by Latvian specialist Uģis Krastiņš, which is preparing for the world championship, and winning the Latvian U-22 age team 3-1.
Head coach Mihal Gogol is assisted in the Latvian national team by Austris Štāls, as well as two Polish coaches – statistician Adam Toločko and fitness coach Andrzej Zahorsky. Like Stal, doctor Lolita Kalniņa-Havraneka has also worked with the team before. In the qualifying tournament for the European Championship, the men’s team will have to meet with the Finnish and Austrian teams in August.
Composition of the Latvian national team for the European Gold League games:
lifts – Edvīns Skrūders, Kārlis Uģis Ābelitis, Deniss Petrovs;
diagonal players – Kristaps Platačs, Kristers Dardzāns, Renārs Pauls Jansons;
second pace players – Kristaps Šmits, Atvars Ozoliņš, Romāns Saušs, Patriks Pinka, Jānis Medenis;
first pace players – Oleg Klopov, Vladislav Blumberg, Tom Schwann, Gustav Freimanis;
“libero” – Roberts Kļaviņš, Kaspars Kronbergs.
