Having won the five previous men’s Champions League championships, Vammala Volleyball is just one victory away from its sixth consecutive title. According to Urpo Sivula, the players don’t get ahead of things.
Anu Karttunen,
STT Sports
Vammala Volleyball did not allow Akaa-Volley to celebrate at home, but took another final match in Akaa. On Friday, VaLePa won 3–1, this time VaLePa won 3–0 (25–21, 25–19, 25–23), and it is one victory away from the championship.
– It was such a nice, calm game. Everyone noticed that the eyes were bright and we knew exactly what to do, the VaLePa chipper who scored 20 points Urpo Sivula said to Urheilu.
– Maybe it wasn’t the most explosive game in the world, but there was no unnecessary fussing and fumbling. We kept our head in the situation all the time. That was the key to victory today.
Sivula is playing in VaLePa for his fifth season. In the spring of 2016, the team lost the finals to the Tiikerei 0–3, but Sivula could hardly play at all. In the next three years, 2017–2019, VaLePa won the championship 4–0, so when he was in the playing lineup, Sivula’s balance in the finals is 15 wins without losses.
According to Sivula, the team has a strong focus, as it set three tough goals before the start of the season, but has only achieved one of them: the Finnish Cup championship. A place in the Champions League remained a dream this time as well.
– We want it to be one of the three. Everything is working towards that. However, it is a matter of honor, Sivula said.
In each set, VaLePa created a long pass line, which ate away at the confidence of Akaa-Volley’s attackers. VaLePan Karli Allik was excellent in Friday style. According to Sivula, there were hot players in every department.
– A good team always finds ways to win, even if it rains somewhere, Sivula assured, and even though he hopes that the series will be broken on Tuesday in Sastamala, he is not going to think about it yet.
– It’s just another game among others. Not getting ahead of things. The situation is good, but that focus must be kept together.
VaLePa has celebrated only one of its seven previous championships in its home hall in Sastamala. The first championship came in 2012 in Salo. Then the current head coach of Akaa-Volley Olli Kunnari scored 37 points. On Saturday, the four general players who played in Akaa-Volley got a total of 21 points.
Among VaLePa’s experienced players, only the libero is missing the championship Eetu from Pennase. He was in a great game on Saturday, the percentage of successful receptions was a whopping 81.
Savo Volley won the dullest medals – “Bronze tastes better than silver last year”
On Saturday, Savo Volley defeated Raision Loimu 3–0 in the third bronze medal game of the Men’s Volleyball Championship, and this is how the team celebrated the bronze medals on the away field with a 2–1 victory.
Savo Volley’s middle player Miki Jauhiainen collected 11 points, and the power balance +10 was the best of the match.
– Bronze currently tastes better than silver last season. And in the semi-finals we challenged VaLePa well. Aka has a big mountain to climb this year if they still plan to celebrate, Jauhiainen said.
The medal was the club’s third in a row, in the previous two seasons Timo Tolvanen coached team lost the finals to VaLePa. Last year, the team won the silver in Kuopio after VaLePa won the championship 4–3, and the following year in Pielavede, VaLePa celebrated the condensed final series of the crown with a 2–1 victory.
Loimu’s previous medal is still from 2010, when another team from Kuopio, Leka Volley, fell 2–1 in the bronze matches. The last time it was the fourth in 2015, when VaLePa took the bronze with a 2–1 victory.
Urpo Sivula was interviewed by Toni Flink.