Jansons: loss to France gives confidence ahead of Switzerland clash

Latvia's national volleyball team suffered its second tournament defeat at the European Championship, losing 1:3 (12:25, 16:25, 25:22, 13:25) to Olympic champions France. Latvia fell behind 0:2 in sets but fought back to win the third set.

After the match, team leader Jansons said that despite the loss, the game had been a positive experience for the squad. He noted that the coach had praised the team's ability to recover after losing the first two sets and keep fighting for every ball, as well as improved defensive and serving performance.

France's strength at the net

Jansons explained that the French were able to effectively block Latvia's attack at the net, which made things difficult for the team's offense. He stressed that the opponent's strength lay in building powerful individual attacks whenever Latvia failed to pass the ball cleanly, meaning strong one-on-one defense was essential.

According to the player, the French did not expect Latvia to be able to regroup and keep fighting after a difficult start. In the third set, Latvia withstood the opponent's early pressure, capitalized on France's mistakes, gradually built a lead, and held on to close out the set.

Next up: Switzerland

Jansons singled out the upcoming match against Switzerland as especially important, saying it is a game Latvia can realistically win by playing its own best volleyball. He recalled that before the tournament, Romania and Switzerland had already been identified as the teams against which Latvia has a genuine chance of success.

The player expressed confidence the team would build on the experience gained against France and prepare with energy, adding that Switzerland will be playing their second match in as many days, while Latvia will be fresher and ready to attack.