23/01/2017 21:39
HPK hungry despite great advantage over long-time rivals
2017 CEV Volleyball Cup - Women
Hämeenlinna, Finland, January 23, 2017. HPK HÄMEENLINNA have been surprisingly dominant over the course of the season, even against their long-time rivals LP SALO. Though they have routed LP SALO three times so far, the Finnish champions take Wednesday’s CEV Volleyball Cup match as a great challenge.
The Finnish league has been once again a one-club showdown but for the first time in eight years, that one team is not the red-and-black powerhouse from Salo. After the shocking 3-0 defeat to HPK at the beginning of the season, LP SALO have not been able to pose a proper threat to the team from Hämeenlinna.
The newly lit-up rivalry between the top two clubs of Finland has slid clearly in favour of HPK. During the winter, they beat LP SALO twice again – and they did so by three sets to none. The difference in block and defence has been enormous. LP SALO have to re-invent their side-out system or at least get their transition game to the opponent’s high level.
LP SALO could wish that HPK would mess up their game by themselves – a thing many teams have hoped but this has not happened so far. Although winning 3-0 in Salo gives HPK an advantage for the second leg, they still take on the rematch very seriously.
Only one match point (two sets won) is enough for the home team to reach the last 16 but that is not the goal of HPK head coach Luca Chiappini.
“This is another opportunity to test our level of Volleyball. I do not want to win one point; I want to win the match. Of course, I want to win all three sets. It is not a matter of winning one or three sets but winning the match. We will work for that for sure. The girls know that,” Chiappini says.
The Italian coach believes LP SALO could be able to reinvent themselves in order to upset HPK. “I think so because we have played already three times this season. Of course, they need to change something but we are studying the things they can change. I don’t know what’s going to happen but we will be prepared.”
According to HPK middle-blocker Krista Bjerregard Madsen, focus is the keyword. “For sure we try to maintain the focus through every practice session because that’s what you are not allowed to lose against LP SALO. We cannot trust at all in our lead. It will be an all-new game and some teams have come to a bad end in a situation like this. We will start from scratch. Anything can happen and we should not be arrogant,” she said.
After all, LP SALO will face the biggest challenge of the season as they arrive at Elenia Areena in Hämeenlinna. HPK have not lost a set in their eleven home games this season apart from the golden set in the Champions League matchup against Minchanka MINSK.
The staff and players of HPK HÄMEENLINNA have in mind that winning on Wednesday means not only superiority over the eternal rivals but also a chance to face a world-class Italian club, Pomì CASALMAGGIORE, in the next round. Thus, there’s hardly any question regarding the motivation on either side of the net.
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