SIBU: Staying calm under pressure was the key to Indonesia’s J Team Volleyball Club’s successful campaign at the Sarawak International Volleyball Invitation (SIVI) 2026, says head coach Eko Waluyo.
Waluyo credited his players’ composure and positive mindset after J Team VC defeated Hong Kong’s Victory Volleyball Club in straight sets to lift the SIVI 2026 trophy and claim the USD2,000 championship prize.
J Team VC produced a commanding display of attacking strength and defensive discipline to secure a convincing 3-0 victory.
The Indonesian champions controlled proceedings from the opening set, taking it 25-15 before maintaining their momentum in the second set with another comfortable 25-16 win.
Victory VC mounted a stronger challenge in the third set, but J Team VC stayed composed to close out the match 25-19 and seal the title.
Before the final, Waluyo said his message to the team was to stay relaxed and enjoy the occasion rather than allowing pressure to affect their performance.
“I told the players to play relaxed and not rush. They had to enjoy the match because if we put pressure on ourselves, it can become a boomerang,” he told Sarawak Tribune on Tuesday (July 7) at the Sibu Volleyball Indoor Stadium.
Despite the straight-set scoreline, Waluyo praised Victory VC for making his team work hard, particularly with their solid defensive play.
“Victory are a very good team. Their defence was excellent and they made things difficult for us, especially in the third set,” he said.
Waluyo also revealed that his side had trained together for only about 10 days before travelling to Sibu.
Although the squad was assembled from several Indonesian cities, including Surabaya, Jakarta and Solo, he said the players adapted quickly because many had previously competed together.
“The chemistry came quite naturally because many of them already knew each other from previous competitions. It wasn’t too difficult to build understanding within the team,” he said.
The coach also disclosed that he made a key adjustment during the third set after outside hitter Deekaev Miss Siriwan was feeling unwell due to a cough, while libero Andra Rizki Azahra showed signs of fatigue after playing throughout the tournament.
“I decided to rest Kuttika (Kuttika Kaewpin) for a while because she wasn’t feeling well.
“At the same time, our libero, Andra (Andra Rizki Azahra), was beginning to lose focus after playing continuously since the start of the tournament. I told her to keep pushing for the final stretch, and she responded well,” he said.
Looking ahead, Waluyo hopes J Team VC will have the opportunity to return to Sarawak for future editions of the tournament.
“We hope Malaysia, especially Sarawak, will invite the J Team again for future tournaments. We are happy to be in Sarawak, especially here in Sibu,” he said.
