Finland’s women’s volleyball team once again won a place at the European Championships. In Juhlahumu, the players also had a sad feeling, as the long-time head coach Tapio Kangasniemi is moving on to other duties.
Petri Sjöblom,
Anu Karttunen
Finland’s volleyball women withstood the pressure in their last EC qualifying match played in Joensuu. They secured a place in the 2023 European Championship finals in the first two rounds and eventually beat Montenegro 3–1.
At the same time, one period in the team’s history ended, when he coached the team for 8.5 years Tapio Kangasniemi moves from head coach to head coach of the Volleyball Association. The situation was emotional for both the players and the rest of the team.
– At least I have a really sad feeling. We have been with “Tase” for many years. He is a great man and really important to the team. He has created this culture, which we have been doing for many years now, the team captain, passari, who came to the interview with tears in his eyes Kaisa Alanko said.
General player of the Finnish team Suvi Kokkonen is only 22 years old, but he has been in Kangasniemi’s coaching since he arrived at Kuortanene’s sports class in the ninth grade.
– He has been the right kind of guy. He was very good at finding qualities in me that were good to use and has always been a big support. Today, this evening must be dedicated to Tase, Kokkonen said.
Sports expert Riikka Lehtonen believes that under Kangasniemi’s coaching, Finnish women have reached the level at which they will go to the European Championships. Next up is leveling up to the next games. Sports expert Pauliina Vilponen has been part of the Kangasniemi national team himself, so he knows what the coach’s level of requirements has been.
– Faith was always the best thing about him. The Finnish team was always ready to win, we always went into every game to win, Vilponen said.
Kangasniemi: Finnish volleyball is on the rise
Finland’s women reached the fifth European Championship place in history, which is the third in a row.
The games will be played in 2023 in Belgium, Italy, Estonia and Germany. Head coach Tapio Kangasniemi was satisfied with his team’s performances and the fact that the charge did not go overboard.
– This is a great team. We’ve had some tough spots this summer, a lot of injuries and other difficult situations, but we’ve always picked up one piece at a time. This was the Multiculmination of that, Kangasniemi said.
According to Kangasniemi, the task of the next head coach is to get the team to raise its level, because in the previous two European Championships, Finland’s team has ended in the first group. However, the starting points are good, because Finland still has a young team at its core and a continuation is coming.
– Finnish volleyball is on the rise. We have all the national teams in the games at the moment and the girls under 19 were eighth in the European Championships. It’s good to make an effort, but work needs to be done, Kangasniemi said.
In Riikka Lehtonen’s opinion, the Finnish team is now more ready to raise its level and advance further in the upcoming European Championships. In his opinion, even securing a place in the competition was a tough trick.
– Even the fact that Finland in that first game in Montenegro handled it excellently in a difficult situation (3–1 win). Preparing for this summer has been difficult, as there have been an awful lot of injuries. But on the other hand, the players made good use of their screen space, Lehtonen said.
The fifth and third consecutive European Championship place is also a hard achievement in the players’ opinion, especially when it was achieved in front of the home crowd.
– Yes, you noticed that everyone was a little tense in the game, but then when the place was secured, the game relaxed, even though we lost the third set, Kokkonen said.
– All those awkward moments are also part of this, it teaches us. Now we were tougher against Montenegro at the end. This tells about the team, that we have such guts and will to fight. We don’t want to give up, Alanko stated.
Read also:
Finland’s volleyball women bowed to the Czech Republic for the second time – the place for the European Championship will be decided on Saturday in Joensuu
As expected, Finland crushed Iceland – the expert reveals how the volleyball women could achieve a surprise victory next week