«Animal-like on the pitch, reflective off». The yin and yang, the two opposing forces, coexist in Piergiorgio Antonaci. And they make Belluno Volley’s middle blocker, a special person: direct, never taken for granted, or banal. Born in 1995, from Puglia from Galatina, the former San Giustino was officially presented via video link. «In Belluno – he explained – I find a project in line with my ambitions. Plus, I’ve received good feedback. I couldn’t resist the call.”
Antonaci is ready to immerse himself in the context of rhinos: «When I play I show my animal instinct, outside I am a very different person. In general, I particularly care about everything I do». The key to winning? After all, it is only one: «The group. Finding harmony outside the gym is easy, but it is on the parquet that problems and tensions emerge, dictated by the progress of the matches. As a result, it’s better to be excellent team mates on the pitch than good friends off the pitch.” The central will bring walls. And a good deal of experience: «Advice? I will give them to those who have ears to hear, but I would also like to receive them from the boys. Sometimes it is precisely the light-heartedness of young people that resolves the most tense situations. Being an agonist, I hope to touch hunger and anger with my hand ».
The twenty-eight-year-old from Puglia has already made it clear to the audience at the Spes Arena what he’s made of. Suffice it to say that last February, when wearing the San Giustino shirt, he scored 15 points with 3 blocks: «I remember it was a volleyball battle. And I especially remember the heat of cheering. A heat that, at the beginning, had a destabilizing effect on me and my former team: we struggled to get going. I also chose Belluno for this. Because, in addition to the quality of the workforce, an adequate environment is fundamental».
An exercise science graduate, he has embarked on a new course of study in the field of food and nutrition: «These are components that I consider very important. Miracles don’t work in the gym. And to get an athlete to 100 percent of their potential, there has to be the right fuel. And in the right amount.” Under the net he will find another Apulian, Alessandro Stufano: «It’s incredible to find a compatriot 1,110 kilometers from home. We will keep the flag of Puglia high». Antonaci has a goal: «Closing the championship without regrets».
