Yokohama, Japan, September 15, 2019 – Russia beat host Japan 3-2 (25-11, 23-25, 25-27, 25-19, 15-7) at the FIVB Women’s World Cup on Sunday and coach Sergio Busato credited his team’s determination for the victory.
Russia coach Sergio Busato: "I’m happy to win this match. We worked very hard and were patient tonight. Japan is one of the best teams in the world. To beat them you have to play very, very good. Yuki Ishii and Mayu Ishikawa both played very well. They are leaders."
Russia captain Evgeniya Startseva: "Both teams played good tonight. It was a great atmosphere with a full house. I’m happy we could win this important game. We followed the instructions of our coach and showed high-quality volleyball. That is why we won."
Japan coach Kumi Nakada: "The fifth set tonight reflected our intrinsic ability at this point. When our serve and digs worked we could win sets. We should have done more. Tomorrow’s match vs. South Korea is important. We want to be solid in scoring.
"Our passes were short tonight and we could not utilize our middle attack because of that. We when served well, we did good."
Japan player Miya Sato: "From the start I could not create rhythm. Our attackers scored. I was helped by the attackers. I hope I can execute my job better."
Japan player Yuki Ishii: "We got off to a bad start tonight and could not create rhythm. We showed our tenacity in the second and third sets. In the fifth set we had bad errors and mistakes. Our play was passive."
Japan player Mayu Ishikawa: "I could not create flow when I came in halfway through the first set. From the second set it was better. We lost the momentum in the fourth set and could not get it back."