Akaa-Volley’s head coach Olli Kunnari had not even been born when the Finnish men’s volleyball team last appeared in the semifinals of the European Games.
The 1,500-person home arena of Pirkanmaa’s Akaa-Volley is packed with people today, Tuesday, when the Polish star team Warsaw arrives as a guest of the Finnish team that made a surprising impact in the opening part of the CEV Challenge Cup semifinals.
The Polish team features, among other things, an Olympic champion, three world champions and a total of six World League winners.
– You can sense from everything that a unique event is coming. A great buzz in the finishing exercises and it felt like there was electricity in the air, Akaa Volley’s head coach Olli Kunnari tastes.
The last time the Finnish men’s volleyball team appeared in the top four in the Eurocups was 43 years ago in 1981, when the feat was accomplished (in the European Cup) by Pieksämäki NMKY.
– We have two important themes for the match. First of all, we need to know how to enjoy the challenge and secondly, to play our own game and focus on doing well in it. It doesn’t get better to try something you don’t know how to do or haven’t practiced, the coach says.
Kunnari admits that Akaa needs a very good passing game to upset the early favorite. In the quarter-finals, that part worked perfectly and was too much for the Spanish Teruelin.
– Maybe the risk level needs to be raised a bit now. If your best pass level is 110 km/h, then you try to pass it, and you don’t necessarily try for 120. You have to start boldly and hard, but don’t present anything extravagant. The pass must stay in the box, emphasizes Kunnari.
In practice, there are no big or even direct weaknesses in Warsaw.
“Vasta has a high-quality team with a strong bench if needed.” Of course, their players have different qualities and some are not as good at receiving as others. They are known and they will be used to advantage, plans Kunnari, who knows the opponent well.
Akaa Volley’s coach could name anyone as a famous opponent. From the general players, Kunnari picks a Frenchman, the Tokyo Olympic champion Kevin Tilliewho is really skilled and has a good command of all areas.
– World Championship winner in Poland’s shirt, another general player Artur Szalpuk is very physical, but at the same time a skilled attacker. The ball gets a ride from him. The opponent has central defenders no matter what. Experienced, world champion and world league winner Andrzej Wrona reads the defensive game well and is always in the right place, lists Kunnari suddenly.
– I could say that the situation is completely new for the whole team, when we don’t have the regular face of the national team. Probably none of our players have met the stars of the big world before. I hope that the opponent is really challenged, and not humiliated.
What result is the head coach satisfied with in the first home part?
– We need a good performance and take what can be taken in a way. The level of the game must be such that we play our own, good game. Of course, we go for the win, but if the guy plays at his top level, it can lead to a long evening talk. If the opponent comes any slack, then you have to hit it and then anything is possible.
In the past, the Finnish team has derailed the Slovenian Merkur Maribor, the Serbian Ribnica Kraljevo and the Czech Aero Odolena Voda.
Warsaw, which lost only one round in European games, advanced to the top four by defeating Calcit Kamnik from Slovenia (3–0, 3–0), St-Nazaire from France (3–0, 3–1) and Steau Bucharest from Romania (3–0, 3–0). .
Akaa will play the first game of the CEV Challenge Cup semifinals in their home hall on Tuesday, January 30, starting at 6:30 p.m. The second match is in Warsaw on February 7.
In the second semi-final pair, the Turkish Galatasaray and the Italian Monza clash.