Besides Egonu, Milano is also expected to have the debuts of outside hitters Kara Bajema, Héléna Cazaute and Nika Daalderop and middle blocker Laura Heyrman this weekend.
“I feel good,” Bajema, who played with Egonu last season at VakifBank, commented. “We have prepared for a long time with many tournaments and training sessions. I think the coaching staff has put us in the best conditions to start the season, I can't wait to get started. In the first game, I expect some errors and the chemistry won’t probably be perfect yet. We have to fight and work hard because the season-opener is always a special occasion.”
On Sunday, Egonu and her teammates will find a young Busto squad across the net. Following the conclusion of last season, the team left some veterans, such as American setter Carli Lloyd, Brazilian opposite Rosamaria Montibeller and German outside hitter Lena Stigrot and replaced them with younger players such as outside hitter Dominika Giuliani and opposite Giorgia Frosini.
“Paola (Egonu) is a friend and a phenomenon, it's not easy to play against her,” said middle blocker Giuditta Lualdi. “We're working on a way to stop her. It's going to be a difficult match, but we're ready and we want to use our determination to get results no one expects us to.”
