GVK Rebounds: Spring Season Opens 1-1

10 January 2015

Let’s Forget, Gislaved

FINAL SCORE: Gislaved 0, Svedala 3 (20-25, 11-25, 17-25) 

Rafdal searched for explanations for the loss

DataVolley malfunctioned. Players collided. When the game was over, Lauren Rafdal did not undo the tape from her little finger. It was such a day, when the big and small things went wrong. One day when more things went wrong than right. At the end of the match, the American sat on the bench and looked at the floor. She gazed blankly into the substitution paddle.

“I do not know why it turned out like this,” she said after the 0-3 loss. She thought of how the team transformed  from spirited and strong in training this week to flat and without energy to Svedala match.

“You saw for yourself we were flat and without power.”

We saw a good start, but then we saw not much more. The energy drained. GVK effort was crushed as Svedala’s offense slammed the ball to the floor around the feet of GVK players. Gislaved was flat. Lauren Rafdal searched for an explanation, and was frustrated.

“We did not take the responsibility of earning points today. It was mental. We did not follow our game plan. Is there an explanation? I just know that we must learn from the mistakes of this game when our emotions subside. That's how we can developed further and not let this happen again.”

After the match had coach Dick Runesson a similar statement: “It was a mental meltdown. We are not a so much worse, just because we have had the Christmas break. We do mental somersaults and crashed in the end.”

How do you mean?

“We planned to place the balls around [Svedala’s] number 16, but each player hit everywhere except around the number 16. We didn’t execute the game plan.”

It was just one example of how the team's tactics were lost. Although Svedala played well, it was Gislaved that fell on own mistakes and made itself bad.

“I'm burning for revenge now. We can do better than this. We know this,” said Runesson.

On Thursday, they get the chance to show it.

15 January 2015

Positive in GVK

Follow a big loss to Svedala, Gislaved continues forward progress.

After a 0-3 loss at home against Svedala, the team searched for explanations and found something coach Dick Runesson had not counted on: “It was a bad loss, but in terms of statistics, the match showed that we are on the right track as well. If we compare with previous Svedala matches, we had many more own attack points.”

It turned out that attack efficiency was a few percent better for every attacker than previous matches. The team’s high serve receive efficiency may be responsible.

“Svedala was a clear loss. The result can be seen as an end product if you want, but we are trying to be positive and look at the progress that we took. I'm usually careful to point out that it's fun if we win but if we do not, we must know that we know that we continue to get better.”

Regardless of whether the team wins or loses, the team looks at the statistics. It is a way to develop the process. A process where the outcome is not what's important. Tonight, the team faces another challenge: KFUM Göteborg away.

"We talked about revenge after the loss to Svedala. The new match schedule is benefiting us now. We are forced to look ahead immediately.”

There is a good chance for the team if they can continue with good serve reception.

"If we manage to keep up the focus we had in serve reception, and keep increasing the attack efficiency, then I’m eager to see what could happen.”

In their most recent meeting, Gislaved won 3-0 over Göteborg.

“[In that match] we kept focus, it even though I made some changes to the game lineup.” 

16 January 2015

GVK Sweeps KFUM Göteborg

Mediocre match, yet Gislaved won safe in their first away-match of the spring season.

FINAL SCORE: KFUM Göteborg 0, Gislaved 3 (16-25, 23-25, 17-25) 

After a 0-3 loss at home to Svedala, GVK's coach Dick Runesson wanted to see a reaction: “We did not bounce back fully. At time, we were a bit inconsistent. They served tough throughout the match,” said Runesson after the victory over Göteborg.

Despite a seemingly clear victory, GVK's coach is not too happy. “’m not impressed with the effort, but it is good  that we are taking it easy in critical situations.”

Entering as underdogs against Svedala, the team’s let go of the game plan and became more focused on solo efforts than team cooperation. Against Göteborg, the team stayed calm.

“[KFUM Göteborg] were up 22-22 in the second set. But we stepped up and continued to play solid.

Unlike their opponents, GVK did not become frantic. Prior to the match, serve receive was looked upon as the foundation for victory, if it could be handled well. The attack effort was okay.

“[Lauren] Rafdal served really well. On the other hand, we can get a lot more from our attacking. The whole team can give more. We won [tonight] because we have a better basic materials and better team.”

Meghan Sherman gained new confidence in the setter-position, and did it well.

“It was a pretty convincing victory, but we can do more than this.”