Clai gets off to a good start: "There's a lot of enthusiasm on the pitch."

Clai has officially entered its second week of preparation. Coach Simone Bendandi's team will work hard again these days, with double sessions split between the gym, the pool, and the field. The final practice is Saturday morning, and then the girls will be free until Monday morning.

An intense schedule, where the coaching staff has left nothing to chance, the group must get to know each other and be ready for the league opener on October 6th, away to Altamura. There, the hunt for survival will begin first, then, if Cavalli and her teammates perform well, they will try to qualify for the Promotion Pool. The first few days of last week served the entire Imola squad to get to know each other: those who were already there regained confidence with the environment, while those who have just arrived have begun studying and looking around to immediately be useful to the cause of the white-and-blue club.

This year will be an important one for libero Arianna Gambini . The club is banking heavily on her, and she was one of the first to be confirmed: "We've had a great start," says Arianna. "From the very beginning, I felt a great connection between us and the staff. The right chemistry is slowly developing, and I have a good feeling about what's to come. In the gym, everyone has shown great willingness to help, with the goal of immediately creating the right atmosphere, and I believe it will be so. We're really working hard, but we're all very happy and satisfied."

Over the summer, many new players have arrived, including opposite hitter Polina Malik : "This first week," Malik comments, "has been very special for me. I've felt so much new energy, a desire to improve together, and a great team atmosphere. I'm happy to be part of this group and excited to see where we can all go together."

"It's been a great week," reiterated assistant coach Dominico Speck. "We've seen some interesting ideas from all the girls. They're very open, they've put in a lot of effort, and they're truly eager to grow. The team is very young and there's a lot of enthusiasm, which makes us very happy as a staff."

This morning the team will work in the pool, followed by a ball session in the gym this afternoon. Tomorrow morning, the group will work in the weights room and then have another training session to improve their tactical game plan.

Clai Imola will play its first friendly match on September 10th at Alta Fratte Padova. Naturally, further tests are planned for September 17th, 24th, and 28th. The coaching staff is gradually finalizing the schedule so they can reach the October 6th debut in full championship form, aiming to immediately secure their first win of the 2025/2026 season. They hope it will be the first of many more.