site.btaVolleyball Legend Antonina Zetova Presented Officially as Women's National Team Coach

Volleyball legend Antonina Zetova was officially introduced as the new women's national team coach here on Wednesday. She thanked the National Volleyball Federation for trusting her. "Both as an athlete and as a coach my biggest passion has been the national team. Above all the idea of working modestly with the aim of achieving results. I realize what a responsibility it is to lead the national team, and we will try to bring joy with results and play," she said.

"Our decision is to have the whole U19 staff together in the national team. These are mostly young, motivated guys who have a huge desire to work. The concept is to build a strong nucleus in the team, to which the younger players will be gradually added. Development in volleyball is a process. I would say that volleyball skills don't suddenly come at 18, 20 or even 21, that's impossible. They come with the accumulation of experience, that's when the volleyball intelligence comes. This is also the right way of growing up," said Zetova.

According to her, everyone who plays at a high level should be invited to the team. "I myself came back to help the national team at the age of 36, and some of these players were young girls then. But we are yet to find out what they think about it - it is a difficult situation because most of them are mothers, wives, have families, they have to make big compromises," she said.

In her words, she and National Volleyball Federation head Lyubomir Ganev have agreed that the atmosphere in the national team should attract female athletes. Zetova said that in order for the team to be competitive, she would like the more experienced ones to come back.

She added that she would probably assemble the national team for the first time in late April or early May next year, with the first phase of the Nations League scheduled for June 4-8. There will be three phases in the women's competition and the countries are not known, but they will not be European, Zetova explained.