Roberta Ratzke and Valentina Diouf about their love for volleyball and the benefits it gives them

Roberta Ratzke (setter from Brazil) and Valentina Diouf (opposite from Italy) are experienced and talented volleyball players who won the Polish championship with ŁKS Commercecon Łódź. They talk about their love for volleyball and the benefits it gives them, encouraging others to get to know different countries and their cultures thanks to volleyball.

Watch them play in the CEV Champions League Volley on EuroVolley.TV

For both volleyball players, it's not just a job. We asked what volleyball means to them. - I’m lucky to work with what I love.  Volleyball not only brings me professional gains, but also personal ones!  The chance to travel and discover new places, new cultures.  The chance to be able to help and provide things for my family – says Roberta Ratzke and Valentina Diouf adds:- Be professional athlete is a style of life. You learn very soon fundamental principles that you use also beside volleyball. You learn team work, respect and if you're smart enough these precious tips you'll bring with you for the rest of your life.

The setter is like a general on the court. According to Roberta, what qualities must a volleyball player in this position have? - Being a setter isn’t just about sette a good ball.  But it's about seeking a connection with each player, knowing the best move, understanding the moment of the game!  And for me, one thing that I always look for and admire in good setters is regularity in the game.  I see the setter as the brain of the team, the thermometer.  So the more lucid and calm you are, the better your game reasoning will be!

In difficult moments, the opposite must take responsibility for scoring points. It's not an easy role, but Valentina knows what qualities you need to play in this position. - Opposite needs to have balance. As you mentioned opposite should take responsibilities specially when things are going wrong and no matter the difficulties are coming from inside or outside the court he has to find a way.

Professional sports aren’t only about competing for medals and titles. It is also an opportunity to learn about the world and different cultures. Both volleyball players believe that this opportunity should be taken advantage of. - My advice is always : ''Go and explore!'' not only for vacation but try immersive experiences that make you understand the culture of the country. Personally all the trip that i did change me deeply and your mind is much more open comparing to who is not travelling – says Valentina and Roberta adds: - We certainly have to take advantage of this situation.  Our work has a shorter duration, so we have to take advantage of what volleyball can give us.  Learn new languages, get to know the culture of the place, the history of the country where you are living.  

Roberta has been playing in Łódź since 2021, Valentina since 2022. They emphasize that they have discovered many places in Poland that are close to their hearts. -  I've already been to some cities, but I confess that I would like to repeat some to see even more things. I loved Krakow.  The castle, Schindler's museum and I also went to Auschwitz (I highly recommend it). I went to Toruń and found it to be a super cute town, with the gingerbread museum, where you hear the history and can create your own cookie – recommends the Brazilian national team setter.

The Italian opposite also has her favorite spots. -  I visited until now the main cities that I warmly recommend like Warsaw, Wroclaw, Gdansk and Sopot,.. but also small city like Torun are really cozy and beautiful for a weekend. I miss Mazuria the land of lakes but is definitely on my plans go there.