MALINOV Ofelia

General
TEAM SPORT
She enjoys the team aspect of volleyball and says it was one of the reasons that motivated her to take up the sport. "At age nine I discovered the beauty of this team sport in which it is essential to rely on your teammates. Not everything depends on you, as well as not everything depends on the others. It's a mutual interchange. I like this link that is created. It's also true that I saw what my parents were doing and I also wanted to follow in their footsteps." (pallavoliamo.it, 29 Dec 2013; avvenire.it, 27 Sep 2018)

FAMILY INFLUENCE
She says her family's involvement in the sport has taught her important values that have helped her during her volleyball career. Her mother played professional volleyball, while her father has coached in the sport at club level in Bulgaria and Italy. "I was born with a winning mentality. Since the beginning, my parents made me understand what it means to sacrifice and to dedicate all my force to my passion. They transmitted values within the sport that maybe other girls do not learn so soon. My parents have always been a great support and help for me because of their experience. I admire the attitude my father has in everything he does, while I also admire the unbelievable willpower of my mother, even in the hardest moments she gives it all." (volleynews.it, 06 Dec 2018; avvenire.it, 27 Sep 2018)

CHANGE IN POSITION
She began the sport playing in attacking positions, but switched to setter under the advice of her father. "To tell the truth I was born an attacker. Later my father, who may know something about volleyball, told me that if I wanted to stand out I had to switch. At the beginning I was furious because I wanted to be the one who smashes the last ball. But later I realised the beauty of being at teammates' service." (gazzetta.it, 28 Sep 2018)