Winners in the end!

This past weekend our team traveled yet again to Lapland to play the 1st league champs Wovo. This was to be our last match of the 3 out of 5 series. We had already won 2 matches so our chances were in our favor to winning. Every set we played we became more keen on what they were and were not capable of. Cutting to the chase, we killed them in the third match. The scores were 25-16, 25-12, 25-10. It felt great to put them where they belonged because of all the trash talk they had been doing since we began to play them. Saying the last two matches were given to us, they were "gifts"...the only gift would have been for them to forfeit so we wouldn't have had to go through all that traveling and could have began to celebrate sooner. Their Libero was quoted saying Rebecca's jump serves were not as hard as people said they were so in retaliation Becca aced her 5 times in a row in the last set. Pretty good way to shut her up I think. We celebrated the fact the team was going to continue on in the Premier league by popping champagne corks and taking time that night at the hotel to revel in the three most important wins of the season. I was and still am proud of the girls who stepped up and took charge of the game, we really came together as a team. I was asked to write up a little something about the match for the LP Kangasala website while on the 8 hour train ride home and this is what I came up with (the edited version):


"The final countdown came all too quickly in this best of 5 series. Match #3 was upon us and LP was ready, grrr! There had been so much said about the last two matches, 99% coming from the Wovo head coach, about how the last two matches were "gifts" from them...thanks, but no thanks. I believe we beat them with out their help. 

Although the simple mistakes, like serving out, hitting directly into the block, giving us easy free balls were welcomed with no complaints from our side. So thanks for that, but we are the better team in this situation, enough said. Personally, if you are going to give matches away, why even play them? The real gift would have been if they were to of forfeited the matches instead of us going through the torture of  traveling so many hours to Lapland (however I did enjoy taking the night train and visiting Santa's Village for the first time). 

Anyway, we arrived to the Wovo fighting grounds around 8:15 Friday morning. With sleepy eyes, we made our way to the gym for breakfast, reminding Erica to please try and refrain from eating 7 to 8 hard boiled eggs this time, misfortune claimed her stomach last time she made this fatal mistake. 

Our afternoon training session was mediocre at best however everyone was still pretty tired from the trip. In addition some were nursing injuries and exhaustion. We all were prepared for this match to be our last win of the season. After practice we ate and a few of us went to Santa's Village for a quick visit but were back in time for a nap before the match. Marko and Ismo fired us up with advice and pep talks for each of us individually. Ismo mentioned the fighting spirit of the "antelope and jaguar", an analogy he uses quite often before a match. As soon as we stepped into the gym our game faces were on and we all believed we were going to win. 

The beginning of the first set was a balls out, fight for the lead. Once we made point 8 there was no turning back, we took the lead and kept it finishing them off 25-15. An important part of our game strategy was to serve tough to the libero who was struggling. Their Libero had said earlier that Rebecca's serves were easier to pass then float serves. So, in return of that comment Rebecca had it out for the Libero at the service line and showed her exactly how hard her serves can be, she finished the match with 5 aces. The team together had 17 aces and 6 mistakes in three sets, got to be some kind of a record. 

Almost every person who served got at least one ace. The second set was a little easier then the first, however with the same scores 25-15. During the 15 minute intermission, Marko talked about making this last set memorable and to have fun. Bottom line, the match wasn't over until that last whistle blew. 

It was a special time for our starting setter Sanna Melonen, this was to be her last set for good. Retirement awaited and her knee injury had had enough. On a time-out the announcer spoke about it being her last time on the court in the Premier League and she will be missed. The entire Wovo crowd applauded as she nodded her head in appreciation. We will definitely miss her as an inspiring figure on and off the court and not to mention her more than exceptional technique as a setter.

The third set was a complete blow out, it felt like the other team fought for 2 or 3 points, then gave up on any possibility of a win. The scores were 25-10. We ended the match with a rally circle including the coaching staff. There were smiles all around, we knew we were still in the league, time to celebrate! On the train back to Kangasala with a mission: to have fun and enjoy the time we have together. As for Wovo, I think they are exactly where they are supposed to be, better luck next year. GO LP!"

Lucky for us the train ride home was only 8 hours instead of 10. Once back in Tampere most of the team headed to the bank where the sauna, food, and some "welcome home"drinks were waiting. Unfortunately everyone was so dead tired that most went home after a couple hours hanging out. Becca and I went for a drink with our manager but shortly after falling into our beds exhausted. 


Coming up now is Becca and my trip to Germany, Austria, and then to finish, London. We are both very excited and we hope that everything goes well.