Florien: “As a player in the national volleyball team, you deal with two seasons. From October to early May, you play for your club, and from May to September, you’re on the road with the national team. With all the training and (inter)national matches, it can sometimes be hard to study. But I managed: I just graduated, partly thanks to VU Amsterdam’s flexibility and support. For example, I got financial support through the Profile Fund and could register earlier for workgroups that better fit my sports schedule.”
The university and online options helped a lot
“What’s more, my first years of study were during the pandemic. Suddenly, it was possible to attend lectures and take exams online, which helped a lot. For a few seasons now, I’ve been playing for international clubs and living abroad. Because I’d already completed most of my courses before then, I sometimes only needed to follow lectures and was allowed to do more self-study. This requires discipline, but as a top athlete, you have that.”
Overcoming pressure
In mid-June, the Dutch volleyball team qualified for the Olympic Games during the Nations League in Japan. Florien: “I can still hardly believe it. We qualified at the very last moment. We had to beat Canada and win at least one set against South Korea, and we did! We’re now in full training for the Games. We’re spending a week in Anaheim (near Los Angeles) for practice matches, then playing farewell matches in the Netherlands, and then off to Paris!”
The Netherlands is in a pool with Italy, Turkey and the Dominican Republic. There are three pools, with the top two teams from each pool and the two best third-place teams advancing to the quarter-finals. What are your expectations for the Games? Florien: “I expect it to be even bigger than I can imagine now. For instance, I heard that up to 6,500 people can enter the TeamNL house where athletes are honoured. Incredible, right? We’re in a very tough pool with two of the top-three countries in the world. But a match is still a match, and all 12 countries have qualified, so we all have a chance.”
Enjoying the experience
“When will I look back and be satisfied? If we can withstand the pressure like we did in Japan, play good matches and at least meet or exceed our level, I think we can be very satisfied. It would be fantastic if we can pull it off and, of course, we’ll enjoy this incredible experience. I’m looking forward to it!”
