Season recap for the Men’s A team

With only two players staying in the team from the previous season, and only three players with any previous experience in Division 1, our season started in September with very pessimistic perspectives, and our only goal was not to descend to Division 2 at the end of the year. Our friendly game against Gothia confirmed that our team was not at the level needed to compete, and this was reinforced by our 0-3 loss in the first game of the season against Habo B which also included an ankle injury of our main hitter Jonatan that kept him away from training for a few weeks.

We were forced to make some changes in our lineup, turning Erik from outside hitter to middle, and Eusebio from setter to outside hitter, as well as incorporating Valentin into the team as a setter. We also realized that we needed to work harder during training, so the intensity and discipline of our practices increased. To our surprise, very little time was needed to prove that things would change very quickly. Our first win came in our next game against Vindrarp and was followed by another win against Linköpings VC. Benjamin, Viktor, Jonatan, Erik and Felix, who are the youngest players on the team, developed tremendously during the first months of training – this was necessary, as these players had crucial roles in our team throughout the season. Simultaneously, the stability of Sebastian, Zia, Ahmet and Eusebio, our most experienced players, was a great complement that made this evolution possible.

With the addition of Lars to our team we gained some necessary depth in our squad, which was necessary to get the next two wins against KFUM Jönköping IA and Gothia. By this time, we were second in the league, only behind Habo B. Filled with confidence and with high expectations, we drove down to Lund to play against their B team. The outcome, a 1-3 loss, was not at all what we expected, and the frustration in the team was very visible. Were we actually a good team, or had we just been lucky against a few opponents? The learning we drew out of this loss was clear: train harder so that this won’t happen again this season. A big challenge followed the weekend after, as we faced RIG Falköping B at home. Our 3-2 win was a much necessary redemption after the letdown at Lund, and we will all remember how Viktor’s exceptionally long serving streak in the tie-break clinched the win for us.

Our next game, against Habo C, was probably the most curious one of the season. With four players playing in unusual positions, and without a libero in the first set, we again found ourselves in the position of the underdog. Despite a very problematic start, we were able to turn the game around thanks in huge part to the stability that Jawid provided while playing as a libero.

Our next two games showed that the level of our team was not the same from the beginning of the season: just before the Christmas break we beat Falköping in four sets, and after the break we beat Habo B in five. These wins would not have been possible without the addition to our team of Ali, Zayed and Yonos, who took our offense and block to the next level. With Eusebio returning to the setting position, Jonatan playing as a right side for the first time, and with the help of strong performances by Ahmet, we obtained further wins against Habo C, Jönköping and Gothia.

It was then time to face Lund again. We were determined to show them (and us) who the best team was, and so we did, defeating them in a decisive 3-0 where Benjamin had his best game of the season. Arguably the biggest highlight of this weekend for us actually took place in Falköping, where Habo B lost in four sets. With these results we moved ahead of Habo B by two points and took the lead in the league. We once again had to reevaluate our goals: with only two games to go, the championship in Division 1 was suddenly a realistic target. In the game against Vindrarp, Valentin showed everyone how much he improved during the season, successfully running the offense against a good opponent.

After two very intense weeks of training, it was finally time for our last game, against Erik’s former team Linköpings VC. We needed to win in order to guarantee a win in the league. Without a doubt this was the best opponent we faced this season, and the game was an absolute rollercoaster: after winning the first set, we dropped the second one. After being up 16-6 in the third, we lost it 24-26. Down 20-23 in the fourth set and almost out of hope, we turned it around with two aces from Yonos and won it 25-23. The fifth set started with us down 0-3, but had us finishing strong with a 15-11 win of the set, the match, and the league. It was a great conclusion to an amazing season that had us play our best game when it mattered the most. This match saw the best defensive performance of any player this season in Zia, as well as the best offensive performance this season in our Wundertüte Jonatan, who scored an outstanding 36 points as a right side, including 30 kills and the decisive ace in the match.

Here are some season stats, based on our 12 recorded matches and collected thanks to the efforts of Ahmet:

• Our best serve receivers were Eusebio (68% positive), Lars (57% positive) and Yonos (55% positive) (based on a minimum 100 serve receives)
• Our best defenders were Zia (82 digs), Eusebio (81 digs) and Lars (66 digs) - Our best servers were Eusebio (20 aces), Jonatan (12 aces) and Sebastian (11 aces)
• Our best blockers were Jonatan (24 blocks), Viktor (15 blocks) and Lars and Zayed (13 blocks)
• Our best attackers were Jonatan (132 points, 56%), Yonos (61 points, 43%) and Eusebio (73 points, 41%) (based on a minimum of 100 attempts)
• Our best scorers of the season were Jonatan (168 points), Eusebio (93 points) and Lars (92 points)

This team was also successful outside the court, and we had joint activities almost every weekend. This created a very strong team spirit and group feeling, which was itself key to our good performances. It is also very exciting that so many of us will continue to play for the club next season, which will allow us to build on the progress made this year.

Finally, although we declined the right to qualify for the Eliteseries, this will be the last year we do so, as the club has stated their intention to have a men’s team in the Eliteseries as soon as possible. This is great news for us, and sets our goal for next season: win Division 1 again, and win the qualification to advance to Elite. We are excited for the challenge and look forward to next season!