Senica up for the challenge with bright future on the horizon

Outside hitter Max Senica says his experience in the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League is giving him and his teammates the best tools to prepare for their future.

Senica is one of Australia's rookies at the VNL. He looks forward to the next challenges in his career.

The Australians are still seeking their first victory in the 2021 VNL, but the 21-year-old believes the young team are moving in the right direction.

They have had great matchups with France, Russia and the United States in the past weeks, but their match with Japan was their best performance so far as they pushed their AVC rivals to the brink before finally conceding a two-point margin.

“Having such a young team, we’ve taken a lot of steps forward, particularly in the match with Japan,” Senica said.

“We were very close in the end. It was just a couple of misplays, but I’m really proud of the boys for how we played. We acquired a lot of experience, and I couldn’t be happier with our performance.

“A lot of guys are coming through and rotating, putting in a decent performance and bringing a lot of energy. So for the young guys, this should give them a lot of confidence going forward. We just need to keep bringing that (energy) in the next couple of games. And hopefully clean up on errors in serve and sideout.

“We are really pushing ourselves to be clinical when the easy balls come and work on the block when the situations aren’t ideal. We really had focus in training and we showed that against Japan.”

And he is making the best out of this experience.

“Playing against the best players is a pretty big positive, as well as being able to compete and push yourself to rise to the occasion. A lot of us young athletes watched these guys as we were growing up, and now we are playing against them. It’s a pretty cool experience. Getting to play guys who are hitting harder and moving faster will push us to get better.

“Knowing that the older guys have a lot of experience we can learn from, we have to push ourselves and ask questions, and pick their brains to see what they can offer us. We can use that in our games and work with them to improve ourselves.

There seem to be a lot of adjustments needed as the team has had a huge overhaul, with many young players coming in and a new coach leading the team. But for Senica, it is a welcome transition that will help them have a bright future.

“Coming to the team with guys I’ve only watched before is definitely a challenge and having a new coach brings its challenges too. But everyone has been helpful and accommodating. We’ve made a good transition and the coach is bringing a lot of positive things, so I am really happy.”