Congress Square and Črnuče, Ljubljana, Slovenia
July 20 – 22, 2017

Highest ranking CEV Beach Volley Tour tournament, with support of European Volleyball Confederation CEV.

EVENT AMBASSADOR

NEJC ZEMLJAK

The most exciting part of beach volley?

The game! I think the entire beach volley atmosphere is very exciting but as a player I’m mostly interested in the competition part of it.

What feels better, playing in the heat or playing in the evening under the lights?

Each has its charm. Playing under the lights in Ljubljana is something special because there’s always a great atmosphere. But I’m typically a fan of the heat.

Which volleyball rule do you most often break?

Probably exceeding the “allowed break” between two points. As it happens often in sports, they’re trying to force time limit between two points.

Do you ever admit touching the net even if the referee doesn’t see you? If not, do you feel bad about it?

I’d like to say yes, of course, but… well, it definitely happens sometimes 🙂 There’s some room on both ends 🙂 In most matches something happens at the very beginning and you can quickly tell how many self-initiated confessions there’ll be.

What’s the biggest mistake a beach volley player can make before the game (partying into the night, wrong food choice, sexual intercourse, etc.) Are you speaking from experience?

Ha ha 🙂 I think each player has it’s own. We have different customs and routines that help us prepare for the game. Any deviation shows. For the most part I think problems are connected to the fact that most tournament schedules depend on the outcome of matches so any kind of planning ahead (meal, warm up, rest) is hard.

How long does it take to get ready before the final (warm-up doesn’t count!)?

I usually bring equipment for every extreme condition (rain-sun, heat-cold…) so packing the bag takes up to 15 minutes before I find everything and triple-check nothing is missing.

Which journalist question would you rather avoid?

Any general, open-ended essay question about the match or competition.

Which part of the body is the most difficult to clean sand off after the game?

Ha ha 🙂 Oh those little pieces of sand 🙂 The most annoying is sand in the eyes. And it’s always nice when you have to rush in the shower and then find remaining pieces of sand while getting dressed.

Who do you call fist after the game?

Friends and family. Although an attempted escape from the volleyball world is most likely.

What’s your favorite thing about Ljubljana tournament?

Proximity, homeliness, support, infrastructure.. to only name a few. Not having to travel somewhere is a big advantage, playing on the home grounds, support and comfort of home. There are a lot of advantages. It’s nice to see that the tournament is not only organized, but in some things even better than other tournaments around the world. And what I like the most is the big turnout of people supporting sport and the event.

Who would be your partner and against whom would you like to play mix doubles?

Truth be told I would probably rather take this person out to lunch or coffee somewhere by the see and have a nice chat. It’s not in my nature to be star struck but I love meting new people and find out more about their background, believes, values and opinions …