Maja Poljak: I believe we can beat any team in Italy right now

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At what age and how did you start volleyball?
I started playing volleyball when I was twelve in Zagreb. I was always in the sports surrounding because my father was a former basketball player and then a coach. In that year, European Champions League Final Four was organized in Zagreb. I saw great matches and fell in love with volleyball. I started practicing right after.

Croatian National Team scored amazing achievements at the end of 90’s. Especially we see three consecutive silver medals in the European Championship from 1995 to 1999. You participate in the Sydney Olympics and hold the 6th place in the World Championship. What do you think are the reasons for such important success?
Yes, those years were definitely great. Our national team as well as our club teams had great success. The Croatian league was much stronger back then. But most importantly we had Barbara (Jelic-Ruzic) in our team. She was the queen of volleyball back then. I think that was the biggest reason we had so much of success.

When you were 16, you have become part of the team that notched the silver medal at the 1999 European Championship. What did participating in that generation’s team contribute to you?
Well, like you said, I was only 16. I was just a little girl just starting to play at high level of volleyball so I did not play much. But it was definitely a great experience to be part of such a successful generation. I was really happy and enthusiastic and all those other feelings that come along with big wins.

For the last few years, Croatia has been far away from its past glory days. Indeed your team consists of players who have amazing individual talents. What do you think is the reason for such average results?
The potential is still great in our national team but our young girls could not have found the opportunity to work hard. Things are currently not great with the Croatian Federation. The federation has gone bankrupt and they have a lot of debts. The situation was not ideal for us to have a good camp and practice well.

Considering that you will play in the national team for long years to come, what do you think you need for the long-awaited accomplishments?
Like I said, we need better camps and better practices. We do not have that chance because of the federation’s current situation. Right before the recent European Championship, we should have played friendly matches but we could not have. And when you can’t do that before big tournaments, you need to pull the white flag. In fact, when you consider everything objectively, we at least deserved the 2nd round at the European Championship but that was not the case unfortunately.

You started to play in Vicenza, Italy - in one of the strongest leagues of Europe right after a year you participated in the European Championship. Indeed, you play together with an amazing roster there to win the CEV and Italian Cup at such a young age. What factors play in those achievements that come so early in your career?
I can say that I am very happy that I have been constantly winning but it is not only about me. There is always a team spirit behind all these successes. The grouping was amazing in Vicenza. Everyone was so helpful and kind. The girls really helped me a lot to get to that high level of volleyball. They were playing a system I was not so used to. Ever since I was young, I approached everything seriously. But I received help from a lot of people. My mother especially helped me a lot. In my first year in Italy, I was just in the 9th grade. I had to take my tests at the same time. I had to travel to Zagreb in the morning, take my exams and come back in the evening to practice. It was very tough. I received tremendous support from my family. I still appreciate what they have done for me.

Your father is also a former basketball player and now a coach so the fact that he knows what it takes to become successful must have helped you.
Yeah, definitely. Plus, my mother was always very supportive as well. She did all the cooking and preparing things when necessary. She was there by my side all the time. She really did everything for me to succeed in volleyball. My father was rather specialized in giving me some general sports advice because he was into volleyball. He therefore understood the sports philosophy very well.

You transferred to Bergamo after playing for three years in Bergamo and an unprecedented story of success begins there for a period of five years full of two Champions League titles and plenty of trophies in Italy. Bergamo’s inner coordination has always been praised by everyone. Can you tell us how you come to find that collaboration and coordination within the team?
In Bergamo, there were always changes but rather small ones because they always tried to sustain the group base. I think that was the most important thing. You always have to be patient and wait for the group you established to reach that success. Normally when clubs invest big sums of money and wait for immediate achievements, very often it does not turn out to be the case because you need time to fix things. Starting from the physiotherapist that knows that players to the coach who can convey that feeling to the players and understand them, so many things have to be connected in the right way. This was the reason why Bergamo has enjoyed consistent success. There was a certain group of players who remained with the team for a long time though there were small player changes from time to time. And even those 2-3 new players would integrate to the team in the best possible way. I think the manager of the club made great choices about the types of players to add to the already existing team spirit.

Especially in Italy you had the chance to play together and against highly talented players. Your motivation and allegiance towards your job must also have risen in proportionate with the high level of volleyball in Italy.
Absolutely! Having so many good players around you is always a great source of motivation. Everyday was a huge fight and again everyday you had to prove and confirm that you were the best. There was literally no difficulty for me to find motivation. Especially in the first few years I was in Italy, so many great players were playing in the league. It was absolutely a blessing for me.

How did you decide to come to Turk Telekom when you were so successful in Bergamo? Your teammate Angelina Grun also transferred to Turkey in that season.
I think I have arrived at a moment where I was looking for some new motivation. I had already been playing for five years at the same club. Things started to go in the same line. I really needed a change so that I could motivate myself again. Of course, if I stayed, I would have found motivation. But I felt like a new change after five years would bring out positive results for me. Also, honestly, the economic movement in Turkey at the time was highly positive. The offers I received here were much higher than Italy at the time. All the players were coming to Turkey and it was normal then for me to follow suit.

To continue with your experience at Turk Telekom… You made your season debut with sensational transfers. You were shown as the greatest candidate for Turkish Championship and were one of the favorites in the Champions League. Yet the season-end results created disappointment. What went wrong exactly?
It was just the case I told you about clubs having a great deal of money and expecting outstanding achievements in a short period of time. Good results never come right away. Good results are the fruits of continuous hard work. Plus, I think the team should have been more balanced. We also had to deal with unfortunate injuries. Bahar (Mert), our first setter, was injured. Nilay (Benli) was still playing good but still that was not the player everybody expected. We had to change the coach. Although a great coach like Lang Ping came along, it was a decision that had to be made from the start. We made some errors at the beginning and it was difficult to fix later on. What we have achieved at the end, I think, was not a disappointment but an objective result for the club.

When Turk Telekom closed down at the end of the season, they have been the name sponsor for Vakifbank Gunes Sigorta and you started to play here. Can you tell us a bit about the transfer process?
One of the reasons I came here was Giovanni (Guidetti). I worked with him in Vicenza for one and a half year. Vakifbank already had contacted with me the year before and I was unsure whether to transfer to here or Turk Telekom. I knew that Vakifbank was a very serious club. Nalan (Ural) was extremely professional from the beginning. I really wanted to work with Giovanni. Angelina (Grun) was playing here and she is always a great teammate and friend. Without even thinking for a split second, I can sign to any club she is playing. So I already had many reasons to come to this club back then. But Turk Telekom made an offer I could not really resist. After Telekom had closed down at the end of the season, I was already prepared to accept to play in Vakifbank because it would be the first club I would go to.

A good team with roster embracing a wide range of players has been established this season. Though you have dropped a few matches at the beginning, now you have come a long way. There are huge expectations from the team. How much do you think you, as a team, raised your performance during the season?
The beginnings are always tough. Everyone was getting back from the national team. The coach was not here as well. Therefore it was normal that we needed a period of time for everyone to get used to each other. Guldeniz came along with me as well as some new players. How we reacted later on was the most important thing, which is what actually happened. We started to play better and better. But what’s important is how we play in the period ahead of us. I hope that we will play our best and win all the titles we expect from ourselves to win.

Vakifbank Gunes Sigorta lost early in the playoffs last season in the Turkish League. Therefore the expectations are a bit higher maybe. Can you also talk a bit about your chances of winning the Turkish Cup and League?
I think we have great chances to win both. The club and the coach are giving us everything we need. Of course, successes do not come overnight. Nothing is easy. But if we keep approaching things the way we did until now, I’m sure positive results will come.

Fenerbahce Acibadem has made an exceptional roster this season that also has found echo in Europe. They are yet to drop a match this season. Do you think you can be the first team to beat them in Europe and later notch the titles?
Every team has its ups and downs. Something can happen in an instant and nothing can go the way they used to. Things like that can happen easily in volleyball. I think they have a lot of pressure because everyone is talking about them rather than about us. Without a doubt, we have big respect for them. However, with that being said, everything is open. We will go out on the court with our heads held high and play our best. Then we will see how it goes.

You have been pretty amazing so far this season in the Champions League. Especially, your win against Scavolini Pesaro at the pool stage was very inspirational for the next stages. You have a tough match-up with Asystel Novara ahead of you. Although they have a great roster, they have been performing below the expectations so far particularly in the Italian League. What do you think about this impending game?
Pesaro for the moment holds the first rank in Italy and the fact that we beat them speaks a lot about the high level of volleyball in Turkey. I have to say that I am very proud to be a part of Turkish League. Secondly, Novara is a great team with great individual talents. Yet, they have not been functioning well as a team. But, on the other hand, a lot of have happened to them. Kim Staelens won’t be able to play; she is pregnant. They have also changed their coach. All of these things can motivate and shake a team like a shock therapy to achieve better results. We will see how they will react. I believe that right now we can beat any team in Italy although volleyball depends a lot on whether that day to day performances and whether your game is at peak at that moment. I hope we will play well and qualify for the Final Four.

You will qualify for the Final Four if you overcome this hurdle. If you manage to go to Cannes, do you think you have chances to win the title there?
I think we absolutely do.

You have been competing at three different cups until now. You have a pretty intense schedule. Do you think you can go at the same level till the end of the season? Teams sometimes reach the peak early and their performances may go down unexpectedly.
These are normal things in sports. Now we are focusing on our next games against Novara and Fenerbahce. The rest is the job of our technical staff and coach. But I’m sure that Giovanni and his collaborators will do the very best.

They say that the level of the Turkish League has dropped this year compared to last year. What are your thoughts on that?
I absolutely do not agree. Fenerbahce has so many good players in this season. Eczacibasi has one of the best setters in Europe. Vakifbank also has great players (laughing).

Lastly we want to learn your opinion about the youth team. Vakifbank Gunes Sigorta is also a team that invests a lot in young girls and that also gives many players to the Youth and Junior Team who have gained incredible achievements in the world. Have you ever had the chance to watch their games or practices or to spend time with them?
I have not unfortunately watched their games or practices but sometimes we travel together. There, I saw that they really love volleyball and they have a great passion. It looks like they are getting consistently amazing results and I’m sure they will do great in the future as well.

Source: Voleybolunesi