In this interview, Hugo Mora, a player for Nice Volley-ball, tells us about his first steps as a professional and the challenges facing the Azur club for the 2021-2022 season. Tonight, the Niçois, ranked sixth, will host Paris, seventh in Ligue A. It’s an opportunity to confirm a great season and a status as a playoff contender in April.
Could you reflect a little on your young career? How and where did you discover volleyball, and which club have you been through?
Both of my parents were professional volleyball players, as was my paternal grandfather. He played for the French national team just like my mother. So, I was really surrounded by volleyball from an early age, but initially, it wasn’t necessarily a sport that interested me. Until one day in sixth grade, I really got into it with my mother as a coach, in a small club in Meximieux in Ain. In eighth grade, I joined the biggest club in the region, ASUL Lyon, with the goal of joining a sports-study program the following year. After a year, I managed to join the program, but I had a serious accident that kept me off the courts for the whole year. In high school, I continued to play for ASUL until I joined Nice at the end of my senior year. It’s now been 3 years that I’ve been with Nice, and since this season, I’ve joined the professional group full-time.
How did your arrival in Nice go?
I knew the coach of Nice’s training center very well, as he was the coach of ASUL when I played there. He also knew my parents and my family context, which really comforted me in my choice.
It’s your third season in Nice, how has your role evolved within the team since your arrival?
The plan when I signed up for the training center was to train for 2 years with the reserve team playing in National 2, doing a lot of training and strength training. The goal after these two years was to join the pro squad, which I succeeded in doing this year. We worked well over those two years, and now that I’ve reached this stage, I need to continue.
Last year, you had a complicated season where you finished 13th out of 14, what happened this season for the team to be transformed to such an extent?
We saw a new coach arrive, Rafael Redwitz, who was still a player last year in Italy. He arrived with big ambitions this year and with a completely different recruitment. He brought another philosophy to training, rigor, and work. These are things that are now paying off. We took a little while to get started, but now we can see that we are progressing a lot. He establishes this dynamic and spirit in training that comes out during the matches.
For the Nice Premium readers who may not be familiar with volleyball, how would you define the role of the setter? That’s the role you occupy within the team and which is central in a volleyball team.
In volleyball, the setter is said to be the tactician, a bit like the playmaker in basketball. It’s through him that all the balls are channeled, he organizes the team’s offensive scheme and decides who will attack. He has a decisive role in the team, not the most physically impressive player, but tactically he always has to be on top.
You’re not the only player in Nice to play as a setter. There’s also the Argentine Matias Giraudo, what is your relationship with him? Do you have unique training or special instructions from the coach?
Yes, we have very healthy competition, we were very close both on and off the pitch. Our coach Rafael Redwitz is a former setter, so he has a lot of advice to give us. Sometimes we have training sessions where it’s just the two of us working on targets and exercises. It’s super interesting to train alongside Matias because he has a different experience than mine, having played as a second setter in Italy. It pushes me to be better every day.
Here at Nice Volley-ball, the team is made up of players of different nationalities. Had you ever been part of a team with so many different nationalities?
No, in the training center, I only interacted with French players. This year we had a massive arrival of South American players across all teams in the championship. These players, on paper, cost a bit less than French players. It’s true that it’s strange to be alongside so many foreign players while playing in the French championship, but they bring a lot to our team in Nice.
Has interacting with players of different nationalities given you a different perspective on the “French volleyball” you’ve always known?
Of course, it’s different tactics, different plays… It’s super interesting for the training of a young player like me, especially as a setter. Our coach Rafael Redwitz, who is Franco-Brazilian, has experienced volleyball outside of France and brings things to us that create a completely cosmopolitan and super interesting style of play. And I really enjoy stepping out of the French volleyball scheme.
In a few weeks, the playoffs will take place, if the current rankings don’t change, you will have to face Montpellier: have you already started evaluating this team or other potential teams you might face?
Yes, as players, we ask ourselves questions outside of training. However, when we’re in training, we’re already trying to secure our spot in the playoffs. We already know that we’re going to play against a big team, and the playoffs are different from the championship; it’s another atmosphere.
Last question, tonight you play a very important match, you face Paris, which is one point behind you in the standings. How are you approaching this match?
We try to be as relaxed as possible, but it’s certain that they are a team neck and neck with us. It’s an important match, everyone knows it, and we have experienced players who know how to handle those moments. It’s also important to be aware of our strengths and know that we can beat this great team from Paris.
