Kuusamo won the Volleyball Championship League, but at the beginning of the season the reigning champion’s game limped badly from time to time. The Hämeenlinna Volleyball Club also had a hard time during the season.
Anu Karttunen,
First Karelian
The Women’s Volleyball Championship League ended for the second time in a row with the championship celebration of Kuusamo’s Pallo-Karhuje, when it defeated Hämeenlinna Volleyball Club with a clean match win of 4–0 and was downright overwhelmingly superior in the last match.
Even at the beginning of the season, the situation was completely different, because the team had completely renewed itself. Libero only Sanna Häkkinen remained in the team from last season, but in December was familiar from the previous season Carlyle Nussbaum returned back to Kuusamo and brought the necessary power to the network.
– This was a real growth story from where we started and to this day. Of course, the championship was our goal, but there were many twists and turns along the way and a lot, a lot of hard work. I don’t know by what the hell means Sotiris Gkotsis got the group together in the spring in this way, Häkkinen said while stroking his spouse.
Gkotsis started as Kuusamo’s head coach in the summer of 2021.
Kuusamo’s game struggled from the beginning of the season, especially away from home, but the home magic remained until the end. The team did not lose a single match at home this season. By the end of the season, Kuusamo had gotten its game so good that it didn’t lose a single match in the playoffs.
Even last season represented the Hämeenlinna Volleyball Club Bettina Yli-Sissala was able to finish the fourth match with his assist shift. According to Yli-Sissala, Kuusamo was very focused on the last match and good defensive play guaranteed the team the championship.
– Even though there were a lot of passing errors, we were still able to keep the game to ourselves. A great game! he rejoiced and assured that the championship tasted great, even though it was his old team.
– We played a really even game the whole time. Hämeenlinna played really, really well at times, but they were expected to challenge more.
Sanna Häkkinen, who picked up amazing defensive balls on the field, believes that after the team’s championship celebrations have started, the club management is already thinking about assembling the next season’s team. Häkkinen, who played his first Champions League match 16 seasons ago, plans to focus only on enjoying the championship, as he will no longer be seen in Kuusamo’s jersey next season.
– This time I’m going to put the slippers on the nail. This was my last game. Of course I’ll stay in Kuusamo and support the team in some other way, he said.
Madsen: Tough season in other areas as well
Kuusamo has played at the main league level for 13 seasons and advanced to the finals three times. The people from Hämeenlinna have played in the finals no less than 16 times during the 32 main league seasons, but this time history did not help the team.
Experienced in Hämeenlinna Michaela Madsen admitted that the team softened especially in the last game. In his opinion, Kuusamo was mentally more ready for the final series, while the rejuvenated Club was not able to play its best game.
– Yes, the silver now feels lost, because we could have put up a much better resistance, Madsen admitted.
However, Madsen reminded that it has not been easy for the club this season either. The team’s game faltered from the beginning of the season, and at one point it was only ninth in the series.
The victory in the Finnish Cup gave the team a new boost, but after that the Club was in the headlines more because of its manager’s inappropriate behavior and because of the clause in the contract that forbade players from getting pregnant.
– Our number one passenger (Sofia Lehto) was out of play for a long time due to a concussion, and we had quite long streaks, so it was a struggle, Madsen said.
– We have had a really tough season in all other areas as well, as many who like to follow the drama know. The fact that we are here has been under quite a lot of big rocks.