I'm so excited for the next week of volleyball. The more I think about it, the more excited I get. I think we're in for a week of really good volleyball. Four teams, all with something to prove and only two get to go to the finals. I think the match-ups are perfect and I'll use this space to explain why:
HIK - Middelfart
From the drama standpoint, you've got Aalborg with a chip on their shoulder from all this weirdness around arranging their home match. No matter how much people blame it on the TSG and deny it being personal between the teams, I can't imagine that the players don't have a little edge to them. Putting aside judgment as to who is in the right here, I think we can all agree that Aalborg's press releases have been a little venomous... In any case, I can't imagine a scenario where this match doesn't have a lot of emotion in it.
From the volleyball standpoint, both teams are playing incredibly well right now. Neither has lost in a long time (though HIK has played more "meaningful" opponents in the last month and half) so they are clearly both doing the right thing on the court. Both teams are physical, power teams that can control games with good blocking. Ryan Vandenburg has been hitting over the top all year long, putting a lot of balls away and carrying a huge load for Middelfart's offense. Will he be able to, straight physically, dominate against the larger HIK block? Can Aalborg play defense behind their block? How will each team react to the pressure of playing a semi-final? Will Aalborg be able to scrape together a big crowd at 9pm? (By the way, I think a 9pm Saturday start time is perfect, sets up perfectly for the rest of the night...) I haven't seen Middelfart play in over a month so I am slightly biased towards HIK after playing them recently, but I think this series has the potential to be an absolute classic. I'm still hoping that I'll get the chance to see them play one of their matches against each other.
From the spectator standpoint, you're guaranteed to see exciting power volleyball. You're going to see a lot of big blocks, and you're going to see a lot of strong attacking. This is going to be real classic men's volleyball.
Marienlyst - Gentofte
Drama: Two teams that know each other really well. Geo and Søe coming back to Gentofte and playing for the other team. The only men's team from Copenhagen still in the playoffs vs. the only team that has beaten them in Copenhagen this year. Besides all that, we've got a history of playing great semi-final matches against each other.
Volleyball: Less physical than Aalborg and Middelfart. We've got experience and some really explosive players, Gentofte has talent, youth and an obvious star in Jonas, who will have the best day? This game might be decided by who can step up at the net and get more blocks/touches and play disciplined defense. Can we stop Gentofte's outsides if they get hot? Who will be able to serve consistently? All of these questions are real basic volleyball difference makers. The team that plays the best, most consistent volleyball is going to win. Not that I think Middelfart and Aalborg play unorthodox, but they have the ability to do other things physically if they make some mistakes, Gentofte and Us have to play really good all around volleyball to be successful. It's going to be really competitive and really exciting. Hopefully the volleyball will look good.
Fans: Out of anywhere else, I think Gentofte has great fan support. I love to hear the Galas making noise, home crowds should have a little edge to them and they definitely supply that edge. I hope that we see all the familiar faces from Copenhagen since this is the only men's semi taking place there. I think everyone will see a good, technical match featuring two teams that have had a lot of success in the past several years. Only one of the two teams that have won the last three championships is going to still be around after this.
I can't remember being this excited about the semi-finals ever. I really think that this week is going to be one of the best weeks that I've experienced in Danish Volleyball. I hope that everyone else is just as excited as I am. It will be good to see you all out at the games. I know I'm going to have fun playing in them, hopefully all the spectators will enjoy watching them just as much...
Friday, March 28, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Status
I'm not going to spend any real time describing yesterday's game because, frankly, nothing interesting happened. If you want to read about something interesting and exciting go to Olafsen's Volley and read about his teams' big quarterfinal win.
The scores in our match speak for themselves. 18-17-18. We took a beating. Luckily, this game meant nothing to us as far as the final standings. But I have to hand it to HIK, they played a great match. Their block, serve, passing and attacking was much improved compared to earlier in the season. They were running an extremely quick ball to the outside and generally made up for any mistakes on their side with really solid blocking. They are going to be a difficult out in the playoffs if they continue to play like they did yesterday.
Yesterday's result means that we play Gentofte in the semis. I'm not really sure that I want to go back to Kildeskovshallen for another playoff match. We've had our difficulties there over the years and Gentofte has always been dangerous at home.
I think the semi-final match-ups are really interesting this year. You've got two really physical teams in HIK and Middelfart on one side and two teams that are a little bit more technically oriented in Us and Gentofte on the other.
HIK and Middelfart have won and lost to each other this year and they both carry long winning streaks into their series, so it should be really competitive. It will be interesting to see if HIK's middles can contain Ryan on the right side. And if Middelfart can't get as much production out of the opposite as they have all year, how will they react? Also, who will be able to serve well and consistently put pressure on the other team's passers? I hope that I'll get a chance to get over to Middelfart and see at least one match between these two...
We've beaten Gentofte every time we've played this year, but only one of those wins was convincing. We have a tradition for playing really tight matches against each other and I don't see any reason why this year will be any different. Hopefully, we'll be able to play better than we have the last week and find our way back to top form.
It's been a really long regular season and it's great to see the playoffs coming around the corner. It's also positive to see the quality of the top four teams. I don't think I can remember a year (maybe my first year in Denmark 2002-03) where there were four teams that were this good in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the hot teams fare, and if we can live up to the favorite role that we've had on our backs all year.
The scores in our match speak for themselves. 18-17-18. We took a beating. Luckily, this game meant nothing to us as far as the final standings. But I have to hand it to HIK, they played a great match. Their block, serve, passing and attacking was much improved compared to earlier in the season. They were running an extremely quick ball to the outside and generally made up for any mistakes on their side with really solid blocking. They are going to be a difficult out in the playoffs if they continue to play like they did yesterday.
Yesterday's result means that we play Gentofte in the semis. I'm not really sure that I want to go back to Kildeskovshallen for another playoff match. We've had our difficulties there over the years and Gentofte has always been dangerous at home.
I think the semi-final match-ups are really interesting this year. You've got two really physical teams in HIK and Middelfart on one side and two teams that are a little bit more technically oriented in Us and Gentofte on the other.
HIK and Middelfart have won and lost to each other this year and they both carry long winning streaks into their series, so it should be really competitive. It will be interesting to see if HIK's middles can contain Ryan on the right side. And if Middelfart can't get as much production out of the opposite as they have all year, how will they react? Also, who will be able to serve well and consistently put pressure on the other team's passers? I hope that I'll get a chance to get over to Middelfart and see at least one match between these two...
We've beaten Gentofte every time we've played this year, but only one of those wins was convincing. We have a tradition for playing really tight matches against each other and I don't see any reason why this year will be any different. Hopefully, we'll be able to play better than we have the last week and find our way back to top form.
It's been a really long regular season and it's great to see the playoffs coming around the corner. It's also positive to see the quality of the top four teams. I don't think I can remember a year (maybe my first year in Denmark 2002-03) where there were four teams that were this good in the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how the hot teams fare, and if we can live up to the favorite role that we've had on our backs all year.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Playoffs...Already?
I feel like it has been months since I played any serious volleyball. This might be because it actually has been about a month since I played. But more than that, I think I am just a little bit jealous. It seems like everyone else is getting ready to start the playoffs. Danish Basketball, Swedish Volleyball, German volleyball, Champions League is getting down to the final four, March Madness… I don’t know, I’m getting kind of antsy. We’ve still got two more games and after that, a solid ten or eleven days before the playoffs begin. It’s times like these that make me think we should have a more developed playoff schedule. Best of five perhaps? Maybe best of three semi final and then best of five final? Would this be too much or just the right amount?
Some other thoughts for this time of year:
With Aalborg’s win over Gentofte this weekend the whole playoff picture has kind of come into focus. It’s a really interesting development that puts my team in a really weird situation. Assuming that we can play well enough to stay in first place, we are going to play either Gentofte or Aalborg in the semis. We are also going to play them in our last two matches of the regular season. Gentofte this Saturday and then Aalborg next Thursday. If we win both, then we get Aalborg in the semis. If one of them beats us, then they will probably end up in third place. It’s also possible that we’ll play Aalborg next Thursday in a match that means nothing to us and might mean a lot to them.
Some people would also argue that we are in a position to decide who we want to play against in the semi finals. I think that talking about match-ups, etc… for the playoffs is kind of a waste of time and usually counter productive. I think that you have to just go into each match and try to play your best and win. No one ever got in trouble for playing as hard as they can every time. When you start talking about losing to Team A so that you can play Team B in a certain situation I think you end up creating more negatives than positives.
It might be easy for me to say this because Aalborg and Gentofte are both really good teams. We’ve had our problems with Gentofte, and Aalborg has really played well in their last six or seven matches. Who wants to play the hot team in the playoffs?
What’s even more weird, is that we haven’t really played in so long, I have no idea how good we are at the moment. It almost feels like we are starting a second part of the season from scratch right now. So, hopefully we’ll be able to step up and finish this season off well.
I know that the schedule was kind of thrown off at the beginning of the season because DHG pulled out of the Elite, but has anyone noticed that some teams have had more home games than others? Just for posterity’s sake let’s take a look. Gentofte for example, up until now, the best home team in the league with 7 wins and 1 loss and a set score of 23-4 (That means, besides the three sets they lost to Marienlyst, they have lost one set at home all year). At the end of the schedule they will have played an equal amount of matches home and away – 9 and 9. Important when you notice that their record is 3 wins and 6 losses away from Kildeskovshallen.
Aalborg, who is also much better at home at 7-2, will end the season with 10 home games and only 8 away games. This is a pretty big deal when you consider that Gentofte and Aalborg are battling to see where they will finish for the playoffs. If Aalborg had had one more away game would they have lost it? If Gentofte had had one more home game would they have won it? Just to be a bitch, I’ll also mention that Marienlyst will end the season with 8 home games and 10 away games – kind of unfair?
Lastly, I’ve read with great interest the couple of shots that people have taken at SK Aarhus in the last few weeks. I don’t really feel that it is up to people from the outside to judge what they are doing over there. I was a part of it for two years and I am really glad for the chance that I got to play there. What I do think is important to note, is that they have not done anything illegal or against the rules. There are no rules that forbid a certain amount of players or how often they can be switched out. So, they can do whatever they want as long as it is inside the rules. Do I think it is the best strategy for the future? Probably not, but in case no one else has noticed, SK has a solid portion of young players that have a good future in the Elite division. Supplementing with foreign players until the younger guys are ready to really step up isn’t the worst idea. Sending players home because they can’t make the playoffs? Well, I can’t really condone that.
A more important point though, and this relates to the above paragraphs, is the luck factor in when and how a team faces Aarhus. You could argue that they have been responsible for more tumult in the elite division this year than any other team. They’re kind of like going out to the bar with your one crazy, unpredictable friend. You might end up having the best night of your life, you also might end up getting into a fight and getting stabbed, and there’s no real way to know before you get out there.
Look at Gentofte, they played an Aarhus volley that no other team in the league played against. They had the bad luck of playing them when they had the services of a Tunisian, among other motivated foreigners, who were pretty good. If Gentofte got to play them again today, with the team they have right now, they would most likely win.
ASV got the opposite, they got to play an Aarhus volley that was in a transitional phase, with unmotivated and new foreigners that weren’t in playing shape yet. The result was a win for ASV, a win that has turned out to be a very important win for them in relation to staying in the elite next year.
Aarhus has been the wildcard of the league all year. There is no question that it was an advantage to play them at the right time this year and that’s directly due to the fact that they have switched out their team a couple of times this year. Kind of unfair? You tell me.
Good luck to those that are starting playoffs already. I can’t wait to join you. It’s going to be a while I guess.
Some other thoughts for this time of year:
With Aalborg’s win over Gentofte this weekend the whole playoff picture has kind of come into focus. It’s a really interesting development that puts my team in a really weird situation. Assuming that we can play well enough to stay in first place, we are going to play either Gentofte or Aalborg in the semis. We are also going to play them in our last two matches of the regular season. Gentofte this Saturday and then Aalborg next Thursday. If we win both, then we get Aalborg in the semis. If one of them beats us, then they will probably end up in third place. It’s also possible that we’ll play Aalborg next Thursday in a match that means nothing to us and might mean a lot to them.
Some people would also argue that we are in a position to decide who we want to play against in the semi finals. I think that talking about match-ups, etc… for the playoffs is kind of a waste of time and usually counter productive. I think that you have to just go into each match and try to play your best and win. No one ever got in trouble for playing as hard as they can every time. When you start talking about losing to Team A so that you can play Team B in a certain situation I think you end up creating more negatives than positives.
It might be easy for me to say this because Aalborg and Gentofte are both really good teams. We’ve had our problems with Gentofte, and Aalborg has really played well in their last six or seven matches. Who wants to play the hot team in the playoffs?
What’s even more weird, is that we haven’t really played in so long, I have no idea how good we are at the moment. It almost feels like we are starting a second part of the season from scratch right now. So, hopefully we’ll be able to step up and finish this season off well.
I know that the schedule was kind of thrown off at the beginning of the season because DHG pulled out of the Elite, but has anyone noticed that some teams have had more home games than others? Just for posterity’s sake let’s take a look. Gentofte for example, up until now, the best home team in the league with 7 wins and 1 loss and a set score of 23-4 (That means, besides the three sets they lost to Marienlyst, they have lost one set at home all year). At the end of the schedule they will have played an equal amount of matches home and away – 9 and 9. Important when you notice that their record is 3 wins and 6 losses away from Kildeskovshallen.
Aalborg, who is also much better at home at 7-2, will end the season with 10 home games and only 8 away games. This is a pretty big deal when you consider that Gentofte and Aalborg are battling to see where they will finish for the playoffs. If Aalborg had had one more away game would they have lost it? If Gentofte had had one more home game would they have won it? Just to be a bitch, I’ll also mention that Marienlyst will end the season with 8 home games and 10 away games – kind of unfair?
Lastly, I’ve read with great interest the couple of shots that people have taken at SK Aarhus in the last few weeks. I don’t really feel that it is up to people from the outside to judge what they are doing over there. I was a part of it for two years and I am really glad for the chance that I got to play there. What I do think is important to note, is that they have not done anything illegal or against the rules. There are no rules that forbid a certain amount of players or how often they can be switched out. So, they can do whatever they want as long as it is inside the rules. Do I think it is the best strategy for the future? Probably not, but in case no one else has noticed, SK has a solid portion of young players that have a good future in the Elite division. Supplementing with foreign players until the younger guys are ready to really step up isn’t the worst idea. Sending players home because they can’t make the playoffs? Well, I can’t really condone that.
A more important point though, and this relates to the above paragraphs, is the luck factor in when and how a team faces Aarhus. You could argue that they have been responsible for more tumult in the elite division this year than any other team. They’re kind of like going out to the bar with your one crazy, unpredictable friend. You might end up having the best night of your life, you also might end up getting into a fight and getting stabbed, and there’s no real way to know before you get out there.
Look at Gentofte, they played an Aarhus volley that no other team in the league played against. They had the bad luck of playing them when they had the services of a Tunisian, among other motivated foreigners, who were pretty good. If Gentofte got to play them again today, with the team they have right now, they would most likely win.
ASV got the opposite, they got to play an Aarhus volley that was in a transitional phase, with unmotivated and new foreigners that weren’t in playing shape yet. The result was a win for ASV, a win that has turned out to be a very important win for them in relation to staying in the elite next year.
Aarhus has been the wildcard of the league all year. There is no question that it was an advantage to play them at the right time this year and that’s directly due to the fact that they have switched out their team a couple of times this year. Kind of unfair? You tell me.
Good luck to those that are starting playoffs already. I can’t wait to join you. It’s going to be a while I guess.
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