For the World Championship, U-21 Women's Volleyball Team Undergoes Heavy Training

BOGOR, KOMPAS - A rigorous physical training regimen and detailed technical drills have become the daily routine for the U-21 women's volleyball team players to strengthen their game foundation. Although the players initially struggled to keep up, they gradually adapted and demonstrated good progress in preparation for the U-21 World Championship 2025 in Indonesia.

U-21 women's team coach Marcos Sugiyama looked merciless when training the players who play as middle blockers during training at the General Police Kunarto Volleyball Padepokan, Sentul, Bogor Regency, Thursday (22/5/2025) night. Sugiyama unleashed punches as hard as he could, then the players had to be able to block well.

After that, players must quickly transition from defense to offense. The middle blockers are required to hit the ball as hard as possible when they get the chance to attack. This drill is done repeatedly in the last session.

Not only the middle blocker, players in the libero position also became "victims" in the 2.5-hour training. Zahwa Aliah Jasmine, the best libero of Proliga 2025, for example, was running around to greet the balls hit by Sugiyama and his assistants who were aiming at random.

"We train hard, very hard, every day. It even becomes difficult to take a break. Usually, they are allowed one day off per week," said Sugiyama, who was newly recruited in November 2024 by the Indonesian Volleyball Association.

Of the 26 players called to the national training camp, several have trained for a full month with Sugiyama. Since the past week, several other players have joined the national training camp after leading their respective teams to the final four and even the final of the 2025 Proliga. Only the best player of the 2025 Proliga, Junaida Santi, has not joined because she has the flu.

These players have been called up and trained in preparation for the World Championship to be held in Surabaya, East Java, from August 4 to 17, 2025. They have at least three months of effective preparation time before competing with 23 other teams in the event.

The women's team has secured a special pathway to compete in the World Championship as Indonesia is the host. In addition to Indonesia, several other Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, have also confirmed their qualification. The participation of Thailand and Vietnam in the World Championship was assured after they successfully advanced to the semifinals of the U-20 Asian Championship 2024, which also serves as a qualifying event.

Sugiyama stated that high-intensity training inevitably becomes part of the regimen during the initial preparation phase. This is because the former coach of the Honduras national team aims to strengthen the foundation of the players. Therefore, the main focus is on physical conditioning through weight training, while incorporating detailed technical exercises.

The players are overwhelmed by the intense training regimen. The physical coach, who is also a former Indonesian athletics athlete, Henny Maspaitella, even stated that the players were vomiting due to the shock of the heavy training. However, over time, they became accustomed to it.

According to Sugiyama, the players are not only able to keep up with the intense training but also demonstrate remarkable progress. They show this development in both physical and technical aspects.

"Now they are able to do anything they could not do at the beginning. They are faster, stronger, and their reactions are better. They can make decisions quickly because their bodies are also able to support everything," said Sugiyama.

"And they understand the dynamics, the process. The training with the ball is also extraordinary. Because when I teach them once, they immediately do it, they understand right away. This is an incredible progress," said the former player who won the Japan Volleyball League in the 2006-2007 season with Sakai Blazers and in the 2005-2006 season with Suntory Sunbirds.

In every training session on the field, Sugiyama uses a camera that records the entire training process. The footage is displayed in real-time via a projector onto the field wall, which serves as a screen. The recording is delayed by five seconds, allowing the players to see the movements they made previously.

"The good thing about this video is that the players can watch it and they are almost constantly asking me, 'What should I do? What should the movement be? What do I need to change?' I think this is beneficial for them," said Sugiyama.

U-21 team setter Afra Hasna Nurhaliza admitted that the training she underwent with Sugiyama was very tough. Her body was sore and stiff after every training session.

However, Afra also understands that the training is provided because the coach genuinely wants to establish a strong foundation for the players. Afra feels that the results of the intensive training are gradually becoming apparent, especially as his strength has increased.

"The coach doesn't demand that we immediately perform at our best, but we were really formed from the beginning. So that when the match approaches, everything is ready," said Afra.

OppositeAlya Regifa Fahira, who has only been with the U-21 team for a week after leading Jakarta Popsivo Polwan to the 2025 Proliga final, admitted that the challenge was tough. She had to catch up with the physical achievements of the other players so that the intensity was higher.

Moreover, the training is more intense compared to when he was at the club. In addition, he had a week of rest after the Proliga final, which caused his physical condition to feel as if it had returned to square one.

However, Alya is happy and motivated to train hard so that she can be selected to strengthen the U-21 team in the World Championship. Only 12 players will be taken to the event.