Lea Deak
Because this season in the trophy Swiss club Volero Zurich will not be very memorable. Not because of the game, but just the opposite – because the championship was almost never played.
„The league competition is currently at a standstill, but as things stand, and time goes by, I don’t think it will continue, just like last season, when it also stopped because of the coronavirus pandemic,“ – Lea tells us, and continues:
„After interrupting the championship, we went to France, where we trained together with Le Cannet and Cannes, which helped us keep fit, but as nothing happened in Switzerland regarding the continuation of the Championship, we returned at the end home. And now we train there, we play some friendly matches, but that’s not the right thing to do. In Switzerland, a lockdown is in force, as in most European countries, everything is more or less closed, you can’t go out anywhere…“
That is why Lea is probably, even more, looking forward to the gathering of the Croatian volleyball team, which is expected to compete on three fronts this summer; in the European League, namely the Golden Leauge, in the Challenger Cup and especially at the European Championship in August, where Zadar is one of the host cities, namely Croatian group.
„I can’t wait to see my teammates from the national team and play some games. I just hope the coronavirus doesn’t spoil that pleasure for us.“
The year was for her without a lot of competitive rhythms, in what form in her own opinion?
„It is difficult for me to evaluate it myself, because we actually played only three official matches, but I think I have progressed this season. There was plenty of time for individual work, and my coach, Svjetlana Ceca Ilić, is a top expert so I am pleased with my progress. That is why I look forward to showing everyone at home what I did last season. I know that there will be a lot of pressing as far as the results are concerned, but I am preparing for that.“
Lea, as well as her former club teammate from Mladost, the representative middle blocker Božana Butigan, is studying at the Edward Bernays College of Communication Management. It’s the second year, there are two more exams left until the end, so everything is going well in that area as well. And the language?
„German is spoken here, so I enrolled in that language in college as an elective, but I’m not the most satisfied with the progress. I have roommates from the Balkans, so we don’t communicate in German, and everyone in the club actually speaks English. But, as I have a contract and next year I will certainly make progress in that area – Lea Deak, the organizer of the game of Croatian national team, which is facing great summer challenges, will tell us in the end, which she will surely know how to use in the right way.
