We’ll try to prepare as well as we can - De Cecco

Shortly after the end of their participation in the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Argentina’s men’s national team announced their roster for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics.

The South Americans, who won seven of their 15 matches in Rimini, will have an experienced squad at the Games with eight of the 12 players picked by head coach Marcelo Mendez having appeared in the Olympics before.

Setter and team captain Luciano De Cecco, outside hitters Facundo Conte and Cristian Poglajen and middle blocker Sebastian Sole are the most experienced in the list and will be at their third Olympics, while setter Matias Sanchez, outside hitter Nicolas Mendez, middle blocker Agustin Loser and libero Santiago Danani are set to make their debut at the event.

Argentina’s squad is set to remain in Italy following the conclusion of the VNL as the players will gather on June 28 in Rome after a few days off. The group will train there until July 6, when they will travel to Latina and play a pair of friendly matches against Italy on July 10 and 11.

The Argentineans will travel to Japan on July 12 and will spend a week in Kagoshima before entering the Tokyo Olympic Village on July 20.

“We’ll try to prepare as well as we can over the next few weeks,” De Cecco said. “We have a few days off and then we’ll give everything we have and try to work a lot on our mental strength. We have an identity as a team and our dream is to win a medal in Tokyo”.

Argentina are in Pool B at the Olympics and will face, in this order, Russia, Brazil, France, Tunisia and the United States in the first stage of the tournament.

Argentina’s Olympic Roster

· Setters – Luciano De Cecco, Matias Sanchez

· Opposites – Bruno Lima, Federico Pereyra

· Outside Hitters – Facundo Conte, Cristian Poglajen, Nicolas Mendez, Ezequiel Palacios

· Middle Blockers – Sebastian Sole, Martin Ramos, Agustin Loser

· Libero – Santiago Danani