Golden EuroLeague preview – ASUL Lyon

ASUL Lyon’s Sofia Vichot has been immensely thankful for what sitting volleyball has done for her – and wants others to ‘have a go’ and benefit in the same way.

A long-time player of indoor (standing) volleyball – playing from the age of 12 beforfe going on to compete in the top league in Switzerland – she was diagnosed with a degenerative immune disease at the age of 30. 

It was then that she took up sitting volleyball as a means to help her maximise her mobility for as long as possible. 

Her positive outlook means that she hopes her story will inspire others to take up the sport she has come to love. 

“Being able to continue playing my favourite sport, although I am disabled, is a fantastic gift of life,” said Sofia. “I want to demonstrate that you can have as much fun playing sitting volleyball as standing volleyball. 

“Sitting volleyball requires more technical skills, more rapidity and more reflexes than standing volleyball, and it can be a perfect complement to indoor and beach volleyball for non-disabled players. 

“For disabled people, it is a fantastic chance to join a team sport, to remove the constraints of the wheelchairs or canes and to use our muscles, our brain and heart while having fun, as I have found.  

“The key strength of sitting volleyball is that it puts everybody at an equal level as everybody is sitting on the floor. It removes some stereotypes of the relationship between disabled and non-disabled people and enriches everybody’s minds and souls. 

“As an ex-high level standing volleyball player who likes intensity and good volleyball sequences, I can definitely say that sitting volleyball offers me this and much more. 

“But we need more people practicing this sport all around the world, so I would urge them to come and try it – everybody can find something for them in it.” 

Lyon have qualified for the Golden EuroLeague (which starts this evening, Friday 28th May, and goes on until Sunday, 30th June) after entering the Silver EuroLeague for the first time this season. 

Sofia says the team have thoroughly enjoyed the experience of the competition so far – and are looking forward to more good times in Nottingham. 

She said: “The team was impressed by the high level of play, the intensity and the fighting spirit of all the teams participating in Sarajevo. 

“We learned a lot and getting the chance to participate to the Golden Euroleague is a tremendous opportunity to pick up and progress even more, paving the way for other French teams to participate in the future. 

“We had the chance to meet the Panthers at the Silver Euroleague and we were impressed by their experience of sitting volleyball, their combativity and their friendliness, so we are delighted to come to play in their home country. 

“Nottingham is a famous city both from an historical but also from a sports engagement point of view and we look forward to discovering this city on and off the court.   

“As a first-time participant, winning the title would be a dream. The other competing teams have a lot more experience at this level. Without doubt, it would be the biggest achievement to date for our club and our team if we were to win.” 

Sofia says she has seen rapid progress from the team in a short amount of time and hopes they can showcase their full array of skills while in England. 

While teamwork is a real strength, she has picked out two players as being particularly important to Lyon’s chances. 

“Our team is clearly progressing very fast with such exposure,” said Sofia. “The variety of our serves and the rapidity of our settings are some of our key assets. 

“In the French championship we don’t face the same block heights when serving, so adapting to that will be key. Good reception will also be important for the setter to be able to make choices and accelerate the ball when setting. 

“Again, in the French championship we are not used to receiving such strong and well-placed serves, so this competition will help us gain experience and bring that back to our country. 

“Marie Salvatge, is our key wing/hitter. She is very brave, agile and a real fighter. She serves well and can drive our team to victory. 

“Julie Ligner is our captain and a player in the French national team. She is really good at bringing the team together, patient, funny and courageous. She inspires us to bring the best to the team and to fight until the very last point.” 

You can follow the action live when the tournament gets underway on Friday via the livestreams by clicking here.

You can also follow the event across Volleyball England’s social media on Twitter, Facebook, TikTok.