Slovenian Champions Begin Preparations for the New Season

The reigning national champions, ACH Volley Ljubljana, have officially kicked off their preparations for the new season. At the initial meeting and subsequent training session, eight players were present, including Alen Šket, Matic Videčnik, Klemen Šen, and Jan Pokeršnik, who were part of the team in the previous season, as well as four newcomers to the squad: Janž Kržič, Nejc Kožar, Žiga Kumer, and Jaka Prevorčnik. Absent from the start of preparations were Slovenian national team members Jani Kovačič and Sašo Štalekar, who recently represented Slovenia at the Olympic Games. Additionally, three junior national team players, Jošt Kržič, Luka Marovt, and Nejc Najdič, who will compete in the U20 European Championship in Greece at the end of August, will join the team later. Iranian opposite Amir Golzadeh is also set to join the team in August.

Speaking to the club's media, head coach Matjaž Hafner said: "We are starting preparations for the new season with eight players currently available. Missing are the Slovenian Olympic and junior national team members, as well as a junior representative from Iran. They will gradually join the team by early September. The most important thing is that the players are healthy and motivated. We know that every beginning is tough, so we will gradually increase the intensity of training, starting with a focus on physical preparation and technique, followed by team coordination and tactics. We have an interesting autumn and a long season ahead on four competitive fronts."

Club president Rasto Oderlap also shared his thoughts on the team's first gathering of the season: "I’m pleased that we’ve met with the players, the coaching staff, and the personnel who support the team at Hala Tivoli. This is our first meeting of the year, and all the players are healthy and ready for the challenge ahead. In the upcoming season, we will compete in four competitions: two domestic , the Middle European Championship, and the elite Champions League, which is our top priority. I believe we will celebrate winning the titles in the domestic and Middle European competitions, while in the Champions League, we aim to demonstrate that we have a competitive team and advance from the group stage."

Before the start of the competitive season on October 5th, with a derby against Calcit Volley, ACH Volley Ljubljana will play several friendly matches and participate in international tournaments.