Raphaela Folie celebrates successful comeback from injury

On Tuesday night, Italian powerhouse A. Carraro Imoco CONEGLIANO needed 67 minutes only to rout Slovenia’s underdogs Calcit Volley KAMNIK and continue their triumphal march in Pool B of the CEV Champions League Volley 2021. The match coincided with the return to competitive action of middle blocker Raphaela Folie, after a break lasting for some four months due to injury.

The ‘Panthers’ secured their 43rd straight win on Tuesday night across domestic and international competitions but the match with KAMNIK was somehow special for Folie, who has had to deal with quite a number of injuries throughout her career. “I just could not wait to return to the court,” she said after the match, “and for the day of my comeback. Unfortunately, since I have suffered many injuries, this is something I have experienced before in my career already, but it always feels great to come back, I felt super-charged and filled with adrenaline.”

Folie crowned her comeback with eight points, including two aces. “We started the match a little slowly, making many mistakes, but luckily we won the first set and after that we started playing our usual game and we had no problems anymore,” she admits. “For the next matches, we need to play right from the start as we did in the last couple of sets of the game with KAMNIK.”

The 29-year-old Folie is a two-time national champion and cup winner with Imoco as well as a Club World Champion (in 2019). She has been a key member of the Italian national team for many years, claiming bronze at EuroVolley 2019 and a silver medal from the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals in 2017.

Folie is not the only CONEGLIANO player currently recovering from injury. Outside hitter Miriam Sylla recently suffered a shoulder injury as well, and yesterday exceptionally played as libero.