Sherman leaves Sweden

Meghan Sherman left Sweden for a job offer in the United States.

Athletic director: "A heavy loss, but great fun for her"

Meghan Sherman has accepted a coaching job that takes her back to her home country, therefore leaving Sweden for at least one year.
"She is very loved and will be missed," says athletic director Lars Englund.

This fall, Meghan Sherman, 27, will be starting as an assistant coach for a college volleyball team in the state of North Carolina.

"Tough news for us but great fun for her. Meghan's contract had expired [after this season] and this was an offer she could not refuse. For us it was hard to match, but we are of course very happy for her and hopefully she returns to GVK in the future."

Sherman's husband, Daniel Magnusson, however, looks set to stay in Sweden and is negotiating with the club to continue as head coach for the elite team.

"We've had one season, and want Daniel to stay. But there are some small details that we should agree on before we can sign the new contract," says Englund.

"Not only is Daniel a good coach, but he does a lot for the development of the association's youth players and leaders," he continues.

In addition to the loss of Meghan Sherman, the Dutch attacker Ester de Vries ended her season with GVK in late January due to a shoulder injury that demanded immediate repair.

Earlier this spring, Finnish outside hitter Hanna Salomäki decided to pursue her playing career back home in Finland.

"At the moment, we have no foreign professionals, but I'm working with several names that may become important to the club. Among others, is a 25 year-old American who is eager to come to us and a Ukrainian," revealing the sports director.

Among other players that will not continue next season are youngsters Gabriella Odenholt and Emina Bosno mentioned.

"They have chosen to begin their post-high school studies," explains Englund.

"But the backbone of the squad has started to emerge," adds Lars Englund, "including Mathilda Carlsson and Lisa Tannerfalk - both of whom have signed new contracts for the 2016/2017 season."

Star leaves GVK - moves home after one season

She scooped up points for Gislaved in both the Elite League and the Öresundliga.
Now Hanna Salomäki has decided to move back to Finland.
- "We'll miss you," writes the club on Instagram.

 290 points for the Finnish outside hitter - who now looks to pursue her playing career in the Finnish Mestaruusliiga with LP Kangasala. In March, Salomäki was selected to the Finnish women's national training squad. She is one of 26-players that will look to join the final 12-player roster slated to compete mid-September in the European Championships.

"Thank you for a brilliant season. Good luck, we'll miss you," GVK writes in a post on social media.

Hanna Salomäki left Gislaved as a few weeks ago after the team lost in the SM-quarterfinals against Svedala.

GVK-board thoughts on Magnusson

Daniel Magnusson's contract with Gislaved expires this summer.
Now, the two parties shall meet.

Player-budget does not increase without more sponsors.

GVK's season was recently brought to an end after falling 0-3 in matches against Svedala quarterfinal series. 

Now Gislaved VK's prepares for the autumn.

"The club's existence must not be jeopardized," says the president Patrik Paananen.

With the Dutch outside hitter Ester de Vries and Finnish spiker Hanna Salomäki, GVK, at times, dazzled.

But when De Vries suddenly encountered a mysterious shoulder injury, Salomäki, along with libero Jessica Lakatos, fell ill with fever, the team had not much to offer.

Now the club has started the process for the next Elite League season.

"The girls should know they did very well and showed great strength throughout the season. The fact is that our squad was among the youngest and perhaps among the most inexperienced," says Patrik Paananen.

"It is sad that injuries and illness to key players halted our potential. It would have been very interesting to know how far we could go if both Ester and Hanna were healthy," he adds.

The contract with coach Daniel Magnusson expires in the summer and the parties shall begin their meetings.

Do you want to keep him as a coach?
"Yes, we want to keep Daniel. He does not only great benefit of developing elite-team players, but Daniel develops the entire association with his knowledge. He is important for GVK."

Will De Vries and Salomäki stay for a second season?
"I do not know the current situation, but the hope is that they want to remain in Gislaved. But I will come back with more comments about all the players later. We will meet them and discuss the future," says the GVK-chairman.

Will you increase the player budget?
"Depends on how many more sponsors we get. We will, in any case, not risk the club's existence in order to afford the more expensive players," concludes Patrik Paananen.

New loses for Ekblad

Ebba Ekblad played with the Swedish national team at the u19 European Championship qualification in Croatia.
And after three losses, the team is out.

On Thursday, they met the host nation Croatia, and fell 0-3 (15-25, 16-25, 17-25).

On Saturday it was time for the second match, this time against Turkey. Unfortunately, there was a similar situation there. The Turkish squad took the match in straight sets (13-25, 11-25, 14-25).

On Sunday it was time for the the last match of the group stage, Sweden vs Spain. There, things were considerably smoother. 

Spain won the opening set 25-20 and the second 25-11, but with the Swedes came back with revenge, winning the third set 23-25. However, the Spaniards were able to turn the tide back in the fourth set, winning it 25-17 and the match 3-1 in sets.

- In [Sunday's] game, there were some players who stood out. Setter Kajsa Österman came in during the game and showed courage to play the most unexpected ways out and fooled Turkey's middles several times to go in the wrong direction. Outside hitter Ebba Ekblad came in and attacked high and hard against Turkey's large blocks and won several balls in the third," says coach Oscar Vikterlöf.

EKBLAD BY THE NUMBERS

vs Croatia: sets played (2), kills (1)

vs Turkey: sets played (3), kills (3)

Vs Spain: sets played (4), kills (3)

Finnish player ends on top

Hanna Salomäki go home soon to Finland but is open to a sequel in Sweden. In GVK she has gained lifelong friends and also delivered on the court, which means that she won in Värnamo Nyheter's Hat Leage for GVK season 15/16. Photo: Henrik Hultqvist

Finnish spiker ended up in the top

Salomäki: "I was nervous about whether they would like me or not"

Hanna Salomäki took the win in the league hat in GVK.
But she did not know what she should expect when she came to Sweden.

You won the hat league this year. What do you think about that?
- Of course, I got a smile when I hear it. I have worked hard to get where I am right now and I'm really glad that other people can see it too. It keeps me motivated!

The season as a whole, what do you say about your own performance?
- I remember when I first came that people [around the club] talked about me as a good defender and receiver. But during the season, I have found the player in me that kills balls and steps up in tough situations. During the season, I have grown as a person. I had to take a lot of responsibility and it has given me a lot of confidence.

- But it's really sad that I got sick after the first playoff game and could not play after that. Competing in the playoffs is what all players want to do.

What do you say about the team's season?
- Our expectations were high for this season and we worked hard throughout the season to be ready for the playoffs. Unfortunately, Esther (de Vries) got injured during the second half of the season but the players who stepped up and played on her position, did it really well and I'm proud of them all. We had everything in our hands during the playoffs but Svedala had a little more routine.

What made you come to Sweden and Gislaved first place?
- I always wanted to see how volleyball is abroad, but I did not want to travel too far from home. So Sweden sounded like a good place and luckily Gislaved contacted my agent and wanted me. Of course I said yes and here I am, seven months later.

Was it what you expected?
- It was my first year abroad, so I did not really know what to expect. I remember I was really nervous about whether they would like me or not, haha. I'm glad they did and I liked the atmosphere when I came here the first time. They have taken good care of me and helped me when I needed it so there have not been any problems at all. During the years I have gained friends for life, so it's probably not my last time in Sweden.

Speaking of which, are you open to a new season in Gislaved, or should you move on?
- I have not met the board yet, but it will happen soon. Obviously I'm always open to opportunities here and elsewhere.

What will happen next for you?
- I go home to Finland soon, I can hardly wait to see my family and friends again. When I am well again I will start working out and when the summer comes to Finland and I'll play beach volleyball with my younger sister. But otherwise, I'll do a little traveling and enjoy the summer!

Facts: Hats VK Gislaved

1. Hanna Salomäki, 25.

2. Meghan Sherman, 23.

3. Lisa Tannerfalk, 20.

4. Jessica Lakatos, 17

5. Ester de Vries, 16.

6. Mathilda Carlsson 11.

7. Ebba Ekblad, Sofie Back 6.

9. Elin Andersson, Emma Tegnhammar, Pauline Adolfsson; 2.

12. Ida Lindbäck, Therese Bengtsson 1.

Season over for GVK

There was heavy challenge for GVK in the third quarter-final against Svedala. 
Photo: Henrik Hultqvist

Season over for GVK

Gislaved failed to blare out a victory in the quarterfinals meeting against Svedala. It is clear after loss 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-11) in the third match.

Gislaved had no good options.

Two of the three international professionals was missing and the first Libero.

But they still challenged the home team in the first set. After a nightmare opening where they trailed 0-6, GVK stood tall.

"It is the absolute best set ever with those who were on the court," says coach Daniel Magnusson.

They could not edge closer than 22-25, and were unable to pressure Svedala the rest of the game.

Second set was won by the home team with ten balls and the third and last of the season for GVK, with a clear 14 points.

Thus, the season is over for Gislaved losing match series against Svedala 3-0 in matches.

"There are many emotions running through your body but what I am pleased about is how we finished considering the players we have and the situation has become. We conclude with flying colors even if there is a loss it says on paper."

Virus raging through GVK before fate-match

Salomäki almost could not breathe - Lakatos' run over by the bus

Gislaved's Jessica Lakatos is an unsecured card for tonight's quarter-finals 3: 5 against Svedala.
Photo: Patrik Nilsson

Can GVK manage to keep the quarterfinal series alive? Svedala leads 2-0 in the best of five games.
The only way? Victory tonight.

Sunday afternoon. Just outside of Malmö.

During warm up, the team's leading point scorer Hanna Salomäki overheated to the point that breathing became difficult.

Later that evening, it was the Libero Jessica Lakatos who was unlucky.

"I came home and suddenly felt ill and later like I had been run over by a bus," she says.

Monday spent in bed.

"I have been drinking lots of water, eating honey and painkillers. I hope to be fit for the game but it is uncertain to know now," says Jessica on Monday evening.

Key player Ester De Vries is long gone from the game, suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in late January.

"I know that none of the players have given up. We have the capacity to turn the match again Svedala and then get to a home game where we can level the series at 2-2," says Jessica Lakatos.

Hopeless GVK fell marginally

The coach Daniel Magnusson and his GVK is on the way out of the Championship finals.
Photo: Henrik Hultqvist 

SM-playoffs risk becoming a short story for Gislaved who, on Sunday, lost Quarterfinal 2.

The home team from Skåne won an undisputed match 3-0 in sets by 25-13, 25-13 and 25-12.

Svedala took Wednesday's first quarterfinal meeting (3-2), which means that fate will be decided on Tuesday, also at Svedala' home court.

"I can not give us more than a failing grade for this. We had nothing to give, and did not got better when Hanna Salomäki forced to throw in the towel after overheating," said Daniel Magnusson.

The reason: fever.

"She could hardly breathe and I will certainly not risk anyone's well-being. With Hanna on the sideline, I was forced to rotate in positions where Mathilda Carlsson took care of the left and Ida Lindbäck right side. It was of course not optimal, and such changes gave a clear advantage to Svedala," says GVK-coach.

Precision, hardness, and a hell of a lot of misses

VN-sport test goes on.
After hockey with Värnamo GIK, handball with Anderstorps SK was now time for Gislaved VK and volleyball.
And I got to know that I was alive.

I will start well this text as I did before.

I have experience in this sport too.

Hockey, I had been playing at a young age and handball I had predisposition, but neither of them was my cup of tea.

Could volleyball, a sport I played a lot in my years in school, be something?

Well, not that either.

It turned out that when I got the challenge from Gislaved VK's elite teams, they just wanted to mess with me.

And I really fell for it.

I came to the hall at 6pm, half an hour before the start, and were immediately told that we would run an exercise called the ladder, this is the team's suggestion. The team wanted to run it.

It was pure hell, if I may be so crude. Footwork and coordination has never been my strong suit, and it showed. The girls on the team smiled significantly and I tried hard but embarrassed myself quite dramatically.

Lisa Tannerfalk took me under her wing. I became her protégé. She tried to show me how to turn. A spike from her side became more of a serve from my side.

But then there were the warmups.

Serve game I thought was perfect during practice for. In any case, after I had been testing five or six times after smashing the first in the net.

"You can let the toss drop, if you want," said coach Daniel Magnusson.

I ignored the suggestion. I would get the ball. And eventually, I got there in the end.

But having watched the video afterward, my serves were not at all perfect. Balloon Serves was the right word but the team cheered for every ball I got over. If they were kind, or cheered sarcastically should be left unsaid, but I want to believe that it was the former.

But most of the work I had to do was serve receiving, and I can say that it was not my thing.

When you stand at the sideline thinking that they do not serve so hard. It's easy to expect, but when the well-trained serves flew past me, I changed my tune rather quickly.

But it is often not all about the power, I noticed. It's all about precision. To see where the opponent is on the court and put the ball where they are not. For I do not know how many times I thought I was in a good place to receive a spike but I just did not have my hands together.

But then it was not just accuracy. When Hannah Salomäki arrived and took in her spot on the floor, I stood paralyzed. I had really only a little bit of luck that Dutch spiker Ester de Vries was not at practice. Then I would not have been able to write this piece.

But is volleyball easy? Well, maybe in school. Maybe where you are the most athletic in a class with people who are fairly indifferent. But against the elite teams? Forget it. You have no chance.

Or as coach Daniel Magnusson said:

"You're lucky this is not a men's team."

Well, thanks.

GVK shocked 3rd-ranked team

Gislaved did - almost.

A cliffhanger ended in victory for the visiting Svedala by 2-3 (25-22, 16-25, 25-22, 20-25, 10-15).

The first quarter-final of the Championship play-off was going Gislaveds way.

They won the first set and had the prime position when they won the third set to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

But lack of experience shone through. Plagued by unforced mistakes, GVK gave seasoned Svedala the chance to take stride. But it was a real shocker.

The fourth set ended with only five points difference in favor of the visiting team. In the fifth and final set, Svedala led 3-7, but with one quick point, Gislaved had a chance to catch up to the end. The teams battled back-and-forth to 9-9 before Svedala took their final plunge to win the match.

"This [quarterfinal] series is not over, no doubt about it," says coach Daniel Magnusson.

Outside-hitter Hanna Salomäki thoughts, you can see in the video link below:

https://varnamonyheter.solidtango.com/video/salomaki-it-pisses-me-off

GVK is hopeless in quarterfinals - according to national team coach

The search for SM-Gold kicks off on Wednesday.

Star player Ester De Vries will be absent when Gislaved begins quarterfinal series against Svedala on Wednesday night.
"But without her, the playoffs will be short," says Ismo Peltoarvo.

VN.se took a chat with Sweden's national coach - who played down Gislaveds chance.

Despite that, GVK notoriously defeated Svedala in the beginning of 2016.

But without hard-hitting Dutch player Ester De Vries, the playoffs could be a short story for the team, says Ismo Peltoarvo.

"As long as Ester De Vries was in play, Gislaved felt like a team that could surprise everyone. Now I have very hard to see them take a match against Svedala. Says more of the high-class Ester is," he says.

In the Dutch player's absence, Peltoarvo choose to highlight Gislaved's other foreign professionals.

"Hanna Salomäki (from Finland) and Meghan Sherman (USA) belong to the Elite series top players. GVK has done a good job of recruiting professionals," added the coach.

Among the Swedish names, Ismo believes that a great talent Ebba Ekblad, from Värnamo, stands out.

"Ebba's rapid development is, and will be especially interesting to follow in the future," he says of the young girl who joined from playing in Division 2 in the winter.

Does Daniel Magnusson have what it takes to be a successful Elite League coach?
"Yes, Daniel has impressed and really seems to be the wise tactical choice. But to build a winning culture, and I mean to be a constant championship candidate, it requires that the organizations have a full-time coach. There is one way that Gislaved can improve, compared to those few top clubs who have chosen to give their coaches the opportunity to focus on their mission fully," says Ismo Peltoarvo.

SM-Playoffs

Daniel Magnusson knows exactly how the team should play against Svedala

Engelholm was the team they thought they would get.
But when the quarterfinals elections were finished, it was a completely different team.
- There's no way, says coach Daniel Magnusson.

Engelholm got to pick first. They chose RIG Falköping. Örebro chose Sollentuna, and Gislaved? Svedala.

"Most people here thought it would be Engelholm, historically, they tend to choose us. Now we will face Svedala, and we think this will be a fun series. First-place against last, runner-up took 7th, and so on," says Magnusson.

Svedala is a team that Gislaved defeated during the regular season, winning on their home court and Magnusson's keys to success are clear:

"It's about to get rid of their foreign players. Mo Simmons has 450 points, that's pretty impressive. You have to get her off balance."

How to get a player out of balance in volleyball?
"Trip her at the net ..."

"No, joking aside, we should be a little tougher against them and win the mental games. An additional block, or our players can utilize their hands to get the block-out."

Gislaved begins the quarterfinal series at home on Wednesday, and will therefore have a slight advantage before playing quarterfinals two and three in Svedala.

"This first game is the most important. To go down to Svedala is tough, all the teams have trouble down there. It's a boring gym."

"Now it's about building confidence and remind the players of everything that we have done well. There is no point to anything that has not worked, but you should be aware of it and see the possibilities."

"Thought we should challenge them more"

Gislaved lost the last regular season game against Örebro.
"They did it well," says coach Daniel Magnusson.

Gislaved lost their match against Örebro 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-14). Daniel Magnusson was not happy but his focus is already moving forward.

"I thought we could challenge Engelholm more."

Didn't you play Örebro ?!
"Yes. What did I say? Engelholm? Yes, we talked about them right. But as I said, we thought we could challenge the more. They serve well, it was a bit like the match against Svedala," he says.

It was, in other words, not the conclusion Gislaved wanted as they enter the quarterfinals, which begins on Wednesday.

"No, of course not. We talked before the game that we do not care about the result but you want to have a good feeling."

"But you can see it in other ways too. Now we are hungry for revenge, as it should be, no matter which team we meet."

"We did not step up today. Neither as a team or as individuals. The heart was there and the will. But we froze in the game and we could not match Örebro."

Quarterfinals elections released late in the evening, but Magnusson think it will be Engelholm who stands as their playoff opponent.

"They may take RIG to get a lighter resistance, but historically, they like to choose us."

Controversial proposals discarded - Englund exhales

Gislaved's Finnish scoring machine Hanna Salomäki could have been plucked out of the game if the union's proposals for a maximum of two foreign players become reality. Photo: Henrik Hultqvist

GVK-sports chief: "Imported spice league"

Maximum of two foreign players on the court.
That was the league proposal that recently triggered a storm of protest.


The federation voted and the proposal, for the time being, was returned to the back burner.

Something Gislaved cheered for.

"Imported players creates more interest. Those who play in Sweden are very skilled and we want to continue to see that teams get to have three foreigners on the court at the same time," says GVK's sports director Lars Englund.

"At the same time, I recognize that there are some reluctant feelings. It's obvious that everyone wants more talented Swedes, but we're not there yet, and may not get there without the contributions from these international players," continues Englund.

If the federation's proposal was accepted, GVK's successful pros Meghan Sherman, Ester De Vries or Hanna Salomäki, would have suffered the consequences.

"There is not a club [in Sweden] who can afford professional on the bench," claims Lars Englund.

Ekblad selected for junior national team

Earlier in the season, she left Värnamo VBA to join Gislaved VK in the elitserien.
Now she will play in the national team.

For Ebba Ekblad, the decision to join GVK was to train and learn through the tail end of the season.

But she impressed, earning playing time and the attention of the volleyball federation.

Ekblad has been named to the U19 national team that will compete at the European Championship-qualifiers in Rovinj, Croatia this March-April.

The team will face the host nation Croatia before taking on Turkey and finally Spain.

The winner of the group qualifies through to the finals. The runner-up and the best third-place team from the various groups go to the qualifying round three.

The squad includes players from nine different clubs.

Magnusson praises Svedala: "Fantastic!"

Gislaved had a chance in the second set, but was otherwise run over by Svedala (13-25, 21-25, 10-25).
"You have to look at what they bring into the match with them and what we have," said coach Daniel Magnusson.

Magnusson was not really disappointed despite the loss.

"The service pressure they had was amazing. I give the complete recognition. The served great. So I'm not very disappointed," he says.

"I don't care about the scores. The girls showed today that they believe in it, despite entering the match overcoming so many changes in our squad this spring."

The disappointment that they did not win was obviously there, as always. But otherwise, it was positive response.

"We bring very much baggage. I told the girls that they were to be disappointed for the loss, but looking at an individual basis and as a team we showed that we have not given up yet. We'll go down to Amager with a faith and the will to win, and we don't need any time to get motivated to beat Hylte."

Now awaits Amager in the Öresundliga on Friday.

"We reload, go home and then we have a light training tomorrow and analyze a bit what we will take with us and how Amager play. A little touch, much stretching so we do not become stiff."

"We should have a pretty good chance of victory against Amager," says Magnusson.

The team captain Lisa Tannerfalk earned three hats, as Magnusson want to pay tribute to her a little extra.

"She really showed determination and commitment."

Monster week ahead for GVK

Gislaved's monster week starts on Wednesday for their first of three matches in just five days.

240 km (150 miles) to Svedala on Wednesday, 160 km (100 miles) to Amager on Friday, and 90 km  (55 miles) to Halmstad on Sunday.

Overall a distance, round trip, over 890 km (550 miles) in five days.

That's what awaits Gislaved.

One that would have had it even worse was Ida Lindbäck, who also would have received 250 km (155 miles) roundtrip added to her home in Gothenburg. But:

"I'll just be at one of the matches, Wednesday against Svedala."

A match she looks forward to.

"It's a fun team and the opponent. We have a good chance."

And though she will not be with her team on Sunday, she believes in a victory against Hylte / Halmstad.

"It's time to break the trend against Hylte now. We've been waiting all season. Now it will happen. It's about time."

Is it realistic?

"Yes, it is. Anything can happen if you just believe in it!"

GVK's loss expected

Gislaved did as expected, and fell 0-3 (13-25, 19-25, 21-25) against visiting Engelholm.

Gislaved was not ready at the start of the match.

Engelholm did a bit of what they wanted and took home the first set relatively easily.

But during the break between the first and second sets, coach Daniel Magnusson's voice was heard throughout the gym and instantaneously Gislaved took the floor as another team.

In the second frame, they played evenly with Engelholm, but as before the visitors raced ahead to set-point at 16-24. Gislaved knocked three-straight balls but came no closer than 19-25.

In the final set, GVK continued to play evenly with Engelholm. A couple pressured points sent the guests into match point, but the final score difference was only four balls.

Lisa Tannerfalk was named the best player, and shared her thoughts in an interview with Värnamo Nyheter:

"It felt pretty ok, despite the loss. There were times that we struggled in serve receive, but at the same time, Engelholm has some really great servers who pressured us well, and we did not challenge them enough with our serves. After the first set, we had a much needed wake-up call and I think we showed a lot of mental strength and toughness to respond as we did. The first set was really bad, we took a mental time out that Daniel pointed out in the 10-minute break that we weren't fully focused at the start of the match, and I'm really disappointed that we couldn't take a set or two, even win the match today, but I'm proud of the team that we were able to come back in the second and third and show that we can compete at a higher level for the future."

"We are not affected by the score"

Gislaved VK did not find redemption for Saturday's loss.
The team fell against Holte on Sunday.

GVK lined up without a lot of starting players against Holte in the Öresundliga match played Sunday.

"Mathilda Carlsson got to play as an outside again and did well, Sofie Back jumped in as libero and had some great defensive plays, then we saw Elin Andersson in at the setter position and played great. Our Swedish players that stepped in really made great efforts," Magnusson said after the 0-3 loss (10-25, 20-25, 10-25).

He saw the game as a good training match.

"We are not affected by the scores, and it was smoother than shown. Now we focus on becoming fit and healthy in the team."

Joy announcement: "Can not describe"

Gislaved VK lost 0-3 against Lindesberg.
It didn't matter to Lina Johansson.

After a year spent recovering from her knee injury, she made two brief appearances in the match.
It did not help so much.

"I can hardly describe it. I was a bit nervous, but terribly excited. It was wonderful to pull on my jersey again."






364 days. As long as she had expected.

No pressure as she entered the match. Full of smiles.

"I am happy. It is certainly a loss today but personally it's great to be back," she said after the 12-25, 19-25, 22-25.

And it was a promising comeback. The feeling was there just like before.

She made three services.

One gave an ace, and a joyous roar.

"It was just joy then. It was so incredibly nice. All my nerves disappeared."

Lina Johansson revealed that she has retained her strength in serving. It gave the whole GVK a boost towards Lindesberg.

"It's really fun. She has fought hard. She did really well. We know that she has a good serve and a good understanding of the game. There are still more places that we can use her. She has not had it easy. She has not been able to participate in the exercises and it's mentally tough to be away so long. But it's great to know that she may be back," says coach Daniel Magnusson.

It was not enough to meet Lindesberg.

When GVK came to the floor, with Hanna Salomäki and Ester De Vries on the bench with injuries, Lindesberg had no major problems attacking the home defense.

It went a bit better in the second.

And in the third frame, GVK served much tougher and pressured Lindesberg to the end.

Mathilda Carlsson switched positions to take over Salomäki's place. Carlsson and Ebba Ekblad led the offense with 7 kills apiece from the left side.

And Meghan Sherman was named the home team's MVP for her efforts.