Although our women's national volleyball team finished 3rd in the group stage of the European Championship, they ended their run in the tournament after losing 0:3 to Turkey in the round of 16.

National team coach Famil Agayev answered questions from Offsideplus.az regarding the tournament:

– How did our national team perform in the tournament?

– We won 3 matches in Baku and advanced from the group. If we had defeated the Netherlands in the final group match, we would have faced Slovenia, who finished third in the other group. In that case, we would have had a much better chance of advancing further in the playoffs and avoiding Turkey.

– Is reaching the round of 16 a good result for us?

– Of course, but we could have played even better.

– What do we need to do to compete neck-and-neck with teams like Turkey?

– Turkey is a very strong opponent. They have a world-class player like Melissa Vargas in their squad. She is arguably the best volleyball player right now, and stopping her is extremely difficult. But this is volleyball; we could have put up a better fight.

– What is the biggest problem in Azerbaijani volleyball?

– Work is underway regarding the academy, but this is not an issue that can be solved in a short time. Time is required for a player to mature and reach the top level. I hope our young players will represent our country worthily on the international stage in the future.

– Do you think we will be able to fill the void left by Polina Rahimova?

– A volleyball player like Polina comes once in a hundred years; replacing her will be difficult. But time will tell.