Twelve years ago, Hapoel Kfar Saba suffered an economic collapse, which led to the women's team losing its place in the Premier League.
What started with winning championships and trophies of the senior and senior teams has intensified, and today it is a club whose youth department provides many players for the Israeli national teams.
Gary Abramowitz played and coached volleyball in the past and in the 1980s headed the Hapoel Kfar Saba Association, which was responsible for managing 16 sports in the city.
The two senior teams of the volleyball club participate annually in the European factories.
While the men's team will open the campaign next month, the women's team successfully passed the first stage when they defeated Riggs from Latvia twice, and today (Thursday, 18:30, free entry with a green mark) will host Ljubljana from Slovenia in the first round of the European Challenge Cup.
If the Greens beat the Slovenians in the double encounter, KPS will advance to the high stage of the quarterfinals for the second time in its history, and the clear ambition is to reach the Final Four.
But despite the success, the economic reality makes it difficult for the club to continue operating.
"The state has drastically cut the budget for the industry, and in the situation created the clubs are finding it difficult to survive," explains club general manager Yaakov Hershko.
"If they do not return the budget to its former state, it will be a death blow," Photo: Yossi Lazrof,
Maintain all degrees
The doubles coach is coached by Elad Spegget (34), who grew up in the club from the age of 13. This is his second season on the lines in the senior team and in Kfar Saba this season set a high standard for him: to keep all the titles.
The main rivals in the fight for the championship will be Maccabi Haifa and Kiryat Ata.
KPS 'staff consists of a combination of old and young, local and talented, along with three foreigners - Gina Lopez (mid-player from Peru), Nicole del Rio (Brazilian contractor) and the Croatian Hannah Couture.
In the Israeli sector, the experienced Anna Wiliki, who also serves as an assistant coach this season.
Other veteran players are: Libero Noa Erez, second waitress Adi Ben Haim and waitress Marcella Korea-Joel, who came from Brazil five years ago, received citizenship and married the team's fitness coach Omar Joel.
And the future?
Two 19-year-old actresses, Tali Hex and Amit Kimmel, have already joined the lineup.
Tali Hex and Amit Kimmel, Photo: Yossi Lazrof,
Yesterday:
Maccabi Hadera lost 3: 0 in its debut in the European factory against Kapushwar from Hungary.
In the men's, Maccabi Tel Aviv will be hosted tonight in Estonia, where the pair of games against Parano will be held in the Challenge Cup.
