After sixth-straight elitserien loss...

Talk about a tough road for Gislaved VK in this season's Elitserien.

On Saturday, the team fell in their sixth straight loss 1-3 at home against Hylte / Halmstad.

"But the team stood up well against this hard competition," says Mathilda Carlsson.

Gislaved-Hylte / Halmstad 1-3 (22-25, 21-25, 25-15, 17-25)

GVK's opposite attacker was radiant with several strong attacks, earning seven points.

Perhaps due to what happened hours before the start of the match.

"I've had problems with my one shoulder before, but it has started to feel better and I dare to invest more in the game because I have not felt hindered the same way anymore. Just before the game, I also got acupuncture, six needles in there that hurt, but apparently did the trick," says Mathilda Carlsson.

But a new loss came in the match that can be counted as something of a derby given the distance between the two teams. Many fans of the Halland-based team traveled to Gisle Sportcenter for the match Saturday afternoon.

"Six consecutive losses, of course are not fun, but at the same time this effort was clearly better than the home against Svedala earlier this week," says Mathilda Carlsson.

In fact, Gislaved's girls took the lead with three or four balls in each set - and lost by small margins. 

"I do not know why we have not managed to keep the lead. Sure, we lost some services here and there but that doesn't really stress us. We stayed calm but ... I do not know, it's hard to give a good answer," says Mathilda Carlsson.

After the 1-3 defeat to Svedala on Thursday, coach Daniel Magnusson responded sharply to the team.

"Maybe we needed [him to put the pressure on us] and as I said we played more as a team this time," says Mathilda Carlsson.

Daniel Magnusson:

"I did not yell at one individual player but on how we as a team performed. Compared with the last match [against Svedala], this is an incredible step forward. After that match, I said very disappointed and gave the girls quite a scolding, but now they stepped up and showed that they really want to play for this club," he says.

"We must rise a little more about the rest but we showed Hylte / Halmstad several times that we are a team who will fight. But we miss some of the reception the game, and then it will be difficult against a team that has been in the last two SM-finals."

Dutch outside hitter Ester de Vries was once again the best scorer for the home team and was praised as the match even MVP of GVK - a prize Mathilda Carlsson would have incurred for their sacrificial games in the background.

"Ester had an outstanding match and is important for us, but both she and Hanna Salomäki have the ability to take it to another level, so to some extent I can certainly agree with that Mathilda could have earned the prize," Daniel Magnusson.

Next up for GVK is the final home match of the fall-season, against Örebro with former-GVK setter Josephine Tegenfalk in the roster.

GVK Falls in Derby Match

Sixth straight loss for GVK

The team did not manage to reverse the dismal trend.

Sixth-straight elitserien loss came on Saturday.

MVP Ester de Vries led GVK with 23 points (21 kills and 2 aces)

Gislaveds VK has had a grueling fall season in the Elitseries. On Saturday afternoon, visiting team Hylte/Halmstad, series runner-up, won 3-1 in sets in Gisle Sportcenter, dealing GVK their 6th-straight loss.

HH jumped up to lead 2-0 in sets before the home team began in earnest showing a powerful resistance in the third as they won 25-15.

Below is a short summary of each set.

First Set:

10-minutes into the opening frame, it was the home team who took the lead with 13-8. A head start that failed to manage, as Hylte/Halmstad won 22-25.

Second set:

At the beginning of the second round, GVK again raced up to a 6-3 lead but this was quickly matched by the visiting team from Halland, as they tied the score 7-7 and then took a 6-point advantage.

It was Ester de Vries who stepped up and took a big role at the net, helping her GVK team reduce the deficit to 18-22.

Hylte/Halmstad drug out to lead 2-0 in sets; GVK trailed 21-25

GVK has nevertheless earned some momentum, seeing both Mathilda Carlsson and Hanna Salomäki stepping up for some big plays.

Third Set:

Here there was basically only one team on the court - Gislaved.

The home team took the daring move, edging the visiting team into an unfamiliar situation.

In fact, GVK walked up to 24-14 before the set was decided 25-15.

Fourth Set:

Gislaved began radiant and stepped up again in a 6-3-lead which then turned into 11-14 for the guests who are doing everything to close the game.

GVK fell 1-3 in sets to the visiting team, Hylte/Halmstad, with final score of 17-25.

GVK Coach Scolds Team

Gislaved VK lost to Svedala by 1-3 (15-25, 25-14, 20-25, 16-25).
It sent coach Daniel Magnusson through the roof.

Sherman (12), de Vries (3), Tannerfalk (9) plead with the ref

Gislaved was not in the match from the start.

They lost the first set by a large margin (15-25), but went on to win the second by equal results (25-14).

The two teams played evenly in the third, but after a string of points put together by Svedala, GVK was no longer in it. The final frame matched the first, and Gislaved fell 1-3 to visiting Svedala.

Daniel Magnusson, head coach of GVK, was not satisfied. Directly after the match, he took the players in the locker room and gave them a piece of his mind.

What was said in the locker room was not unveiled, but it's clear that Magnusson was greatly annoyed.

"Yes, I let them have it. It was time. We've talked a lot about what we should do, and that we need to work together in order to win. But we can not win these matches if we only have four or five players. We must be six, even 15 players who are on their game, and ready to play and fight for it!"

However, he was pleased with how they played - when it was good.

"At times in the game, we go for it. But we have to make that last longer and come more often!"

VN Interview: Jessica Lakatos

At the age of 17, Jessica Lakatos made her debut with the first-team.
Now, eight years later, she is part of Gislaveds VK foundation, and on Thursday she and GVK will battle again after four straight losses in the Elitserien.
- If the right pieces fall into place, we are really sharp," she says.

VN meets GVK's libero at the Hotel Nissastigen the same evening they begin decorating for Christmas.

Gislaveds dreary season has taken a toll on Jessica Lakatos, which is not so surprising since she describes herself as the team's most grumpy player.

In a positive way, it should be emphasized.

"I am an extremely bad loser. I really hate losses," she says.

"When it happens, I lock myself in a room at home afterwards and just sit there and think about what went wrong and why. But I sit completely in silence, I'm not one to throw things at the wall to let off steam."

Jessica Lakatos was born in 1990, grew up and still lives in Gislaved where she began her volleyball career at the age of nine.

"I made my first A-team season as a 17-year-old ... I think. It was in any case just after GVK had fallen out Elitserien. But we took ourselves back directly, and since then I have been faithful to the club except for a short detour with Värnamo to play with their Division 1 team. I was a bit hungry for a change of scenery but soon returned home."

"More than once I have thought about how it would be to play in another team, like Katrineholm when they existed and were best, but I thrive in GVK and in town, I have my partner and family. So it feels good to be here."

Through the years, the 25-year-old has developed into a driving force.

"I do not see myself as a leader but one of my strengths is to speed up and push others when things are sluggish on and off the court."

On Thursday night, Lakatos and her teammates meet series runner-up Svedala on their home floor. On Saturday they play against league-leader Hylte / Halmstad, also in Gisle sportcenter.

"It will be tough but we absolutely have the chance to beat them. Against Hylte it is also a bit of a derby."

For that reason, Jessica hopes to have many fans join the spectator area.

"It has been a good crowd so far this season but I hope it continues. Mainly because it's much more fun to play when you know you have a lot of support in the back."

Why should you come? Motivate!
"Because we are playing very well when everything falls into place, and the sport of volleyball offers fast play, it is highly tactical. The game is constantly changing, depending on the match," says Jessica Lakatos with a smile.

Relief in Gislaved

After four straight losses, Gislaved VK takes a win.

GVK-coach Daniel Magnusson leaned against the bleachers.

He could afford to relax a little.

Finally?

"This is wonderful. We are incredibly pleased. We've been so close," says Magnusson after 3-0 victory (25-19, 29-27, 26-24) against Amager from Denmark.

GVK has believed in themselves. Now everyone else gets their proof.

Gislaved can win in the Öresund League.

"We received a confirmation that we are on the right path. The girls believe in each other, they think of us as a team and I believe in them and know that we have put in the effort. We have tried to look at what we can develop and not just to look at what does not work, points-wise."

Against Amager, the home team attacked with a more varied offense, both in the center and on the edges.

And when the win hangs in the balance, the team showed that they believe in their game.

"It was a step forward."

And when the team took a step backwards, Magnusson reminded them what to do.

At the end of the third and final set, the team trailed 20-21, and it looked like they were on the verge of a loss.

Then head coach Daniel Magnusson took a time out:

"We talked about that we must dare to win. We can not wait for their mistakes. We must take upon ourselves a winning attitude."

It does not sound easy, but that was how it looked.

Right after the timeout the team stepped back on the court and dared to win. They went for the victory, believed in it and closed the match.

"We are so good that we can do that, but the challenge is to do it more often. If we continue to evolve, we are a team that can go far."

At the end of each set, GVK stepped back and decided to win. Especially Hanna Salomäki.

"She was really good today. We make some good substitutions, who also did a great match."

It was a real team victory.

But Jessika Lakatos and Meghan Sherman deserve additional praise. The latter especially; she played with a foot injury.

"It does not show much now, but tonight just may have been the key." Magnusson smiled.

Here Continues GVK's Negative Trend: 4-Straight Losses

After a decent start to the Elite Series can not Gislaveds volleyball girls to recognize.
On Saturday came fourth straight loss.

"Frustrating, of course," says coach Daniel Magnusson after 1-3 away against Lindesberg.

Lindesberg-Gislaved 3-1 (25-13, 19-25, 25-23, 25-23)

Hanna Salomäki and Lisa Tannerfalk block against Lindesberg

In front of 223 people in the small northern-metropolis, the visiting team stole the first point of the opening set.

Then Lindesberg served up a 6-1 lead, which quickly became 12-3, and ended with a crushing 25-13 for the home team.

"They played just like we had expected, but Lindesberg has more experience in the squad and probably thought little more of victory than we seemed to do, and could explain why the match went as it went," says GVK-coach Daniel Magnusson.

Second set was much more balanced, and Gislaved won 25-19.

"In the third set, we led for a while up to 17-9 but then we made some mistakes and gave Lindesberg another chance, that led them into some good rotations and they had good plays. Those drops won't work in tight games, you have to win every ball," says Daniel Magnusson.

Saturday's fourth set was a gruesome battle where the two teams were tied 23-23, but then GVK lost by 23-25.

"We must go back to basics, be patient and continue working. I think we could have won this match, given that Lindesberg was just above us in the table," says Daniel Magnusson.

The visiting team's Dutch outside Ester De Vries, led all GVK players with 23 points, which was ten better than the team's second best, Finnish Hanna Salomäki. Both have proved to be wise acquisitions.

"Ester did a good job and scored well when we needed her to, exactly what we expect from her in matches. But even if we lost, it was great to see the girls help themselves and dare in the game. We may have an uphill battle now but I'm sure it turns around," says Daniel.

"Of course you get a blow to your confidence when we have four straight losses, but for me it is important to find happiness into the team again, motivate the girls and work together something good in our future because we have, without a doubt, great potential," he says.

Gislaved is free from elitserien play until 3 December, when they meet visiting team Svedala.

"But we play at home in the Öresund League on Saturday when we meet Danish Amager VK," says coach Daniel Magnusson.


STAT LEADERS

POINT LEADER Ester de Vries 23 points
BLOCK LEADER Ester de Vries 4 blocks
SERVE LEADER Mathilda Carlsson 2 aces

VN Interview: Lisa Tannerfalk

Studying to be a nurse, moonlighting as a nurse assistant, all while playing elitserien volleyball.
"I have more time now than before."
She is the player who has been Gislaved faithful.

Växjö-grown Lisa Tannerfalk is currently in her sixth season with Gislaved Volleybollklubb, a club she did not think she'd stay in.

"I thought, this hole one can not live in," she says, laughing. "But I took it one year at a time and it felt so amazingly good."

Now, the "dungeon" has become a home for Lisa Tannerfalk. She found love, stopped studying in Linköping and continued in GVK. Instead, she continued her studies in Jönköping, along with a little moonlighting as a nurse for a home for elderly suffering from dementia.

"I have been a nurse assistant for a long time. It's pretty handy with volleyball. I wanted to feel that I was done with volleyball before I started studying, but I never felt ready to stop playing. So I jumped on education. It was a bit messy."

Despite three pursuits she had even more hectic past.

"This is really something I started last fall. I worked extra last year at the post office, too. So I am old postman. But I have more time now than when I worked at the post office."

"Anything can work if you want. I study one hundred percent and to work extra as part-time, is maybe unnecessary. But it works well, you learn structure. One must take advantage of the little time you have."

She has started the season well. She is the third most effective blocker, and the fifth most efficient attacker in the whole league so far, with six games played in the league.

"It's not my best year so far," she says as she points out that she is not looking at statistics.

"But the block has always been my strength. This year, I have talked a lot with Meghan (Sherman), she thinks it's fun to use the middle attack. We had a talk before the season in which she said: "You are a good blocker but we'll get you a good attacker, too." Well, maybe I should be, I thought. Haha. It's funny, I never thought that I could help the team that way. It has been the block that I have focused most on."

"But I check the statistics for the fun of it. But it is the team effort that I focus most on. Plus and minus can, however, be relevant, if you win your game in the match."

On Saturday they face Lindesberg. It hopes Tannerfalk be the beginning of the climb.

"The victories will come. The only question is when. I hope it starts on Saturday and we're doing a really good match. We feel that it is time to pick up some points!"