[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Let's turn back the clock to the women's volleyball quarterfinal match between Korea and Turkey at the Tokyo Olympics held on the 4th at Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan.
Our national team lost the first set 17-25 to Turkey, putting them in a tight spot. In the second set, Turkey anticipated that our attacks would focus on ace Kim Yeon-koung (33) and set up a defensive wall at the net accordingly. Since we needed to catch up, the only option was to utilize Kim Yeon-koung, who has a high attack success rate. However, Turkey was caught off guard. Other players scored more points than Kim Yeon-koung. In the second set, while Kim Yeon-koung scored 5 points, Park Jeong-ah (28), Yang Hyo-jin (32), and Kim Hee-jin (30) each scored 4 points, contributing a total of 12 points. Riding this momentum, the team won the third set and, in the fifth set, Kim Yeon-koung unleashed her reserved attacking power to secure a ticket to the semifinals.
It was all part of head coach Stefano Lavarini's (42) plan. Yang Hyo-jin, who recorded six blocks, said, "The coach told us how to think and what to do," adding, "If we follow the coach's instructions, our timing matches perfectly." Coach Lavarini said, "If we believe in our abilities, I think the outcome of the match is in our hands."
Coach Lavarini is a 'master of analysis.' He repeatedly reviews game videos and meticulously analyzes the opponent's strengths to devise strategies. Then, he calls the players together to carefully explain their roles. His ability shone brightest in August 2019 when our national team broke a four-game losing streak against the formidable Thailand. Lavarini analyzed how many steps Thailand's ace Nootsara Tomkom took before jumping. It is said that even the players were surprised.
Not a former player himself, he began his coaching career at age 16 in 1995 as a coach for Italy's youth national team. In 2003 and 2007, he contributed to Italy's victories in the European Youth Championships. Since 2017, he has led Minas Tennis Club, a professional volleyball team in Brazil. In the 2018 World Club Championship semifinals held in China, his team defeated Exzachibasi (Turkey), where Kim Yeon-koung played. At that time, Kim Yeon-koung was deeply impressed by Minas' volleyball, which showed strong teamwork despite lacking star players.
On January 25, 2019, Lavarini became the first foreign head coach in the history of Korean women's volleyball. Early in his tenure, his leadership was often questioned. He failed to produce significant results and recorded 3 wins and 12 losses in 15 matches at the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) held just before the Olympics.
Undeterred, Lavarini steadily led the players to incorporate his style of 'team volleyball' into the national team. The fruits of this effort are being seen at this Olympics. The biggest achievement is diversifying the team's attacks, which had previously relied heavily on Kim Yeon-koung. At the same time, he ensured that Kim Yeon-koung's skills could be fully utilized. The gap and cracks caused by the exclusion of sisters Lee Jae-young and Lee Da-young from the national team following a school violence incident in February were also quickly and effectively filled.
With Lavarini as coach, we are not afraid of the semifinals match against world No. 3 Brazil on the 6th. Lavarini said, "I don't want to wake up from the dream I am currently dreaming."
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