The reigning champion took the lead 3–2 in the final series.
VaLePa, who ruled the Volleyball Men’s Championship League for more than five years, showed Savo Volley and the public on Monday in Kuopio the reasons why the championships have come for so many years in a row.
Savo Volley was barely able to win the opening round in the fifth final, but VaLePa took the second.
After the break, the teams’ playing curves looked so clear in different directions that VaLePan’s 3–1 victory with lot numbers 23–25, 25–23, 25–13 and 25–13 is essential for the match.
– Quite a lot of fluctuating game performances from both, even within the game come fluctuations. Can’t know how the match will end in one round, VaLePa’s 26-point player Sakari Mäkinen said to Sport.
Coach of VaLePa Janne Kangaskokko had created the game look and level for his team during Sunday night and Monday, which brought the away victory. In this way, LAPE will be able to pursue his fifth consecutive championship in Sastamala on Thursday.
– The game was a great growth story. The fighting spirit was good from the start. Then gas was added all the time, Kangaskokko told STT.
Savo Volley’s problems began to show
The opposite happened to Savo Volley. It was already clearly weaker in the second installment than in the opening round, and after the break, gaming problems began to show.
In the important role of a chipper Olli-Pekka Ojansivu scored four points in the opening round, but one more in the second, and he never hit the ball once in the third round.
Replaced Mikko Räsänen did not work out. Both were on the minus side. Young in the final batch Veikka Lindqvist succeeded, but it was too little to reverse the course of the match.
– We already had signs of danger in the game in the first set, even though the final win came. After that, our big theme, that is, focusing on the essentials, each disappeared. Physical fatigue began to show. Fortunately, there are now a couple of flute days, comments Savo Volley’s coach Timo Tolvanen.
VaLePan chipper Matias Tihumäki scored 15 points and the power balance was +11. The combined figures for the Savo trio were 13 and -5. Both of VaLePa’s all-round players were also in great spirits, as Mäkinen scored 26 points with a balance of +20, and Jiri Hänninen the figures were 18 and +11.
– This was a great level increase for us compared to yesterday. There was a tight twist in the first installment and we made too many mistakes. From the second installment onwards, we got that famous own game to run. The third and fourth installments came pretty painlessly. We caught up with Savo’s feeds. There were no surprises today, Mäkinen summed up.