Our game against Hvidovre was a bit of a grudge match, because the last match we played against them is one we feel we should have won. Unlike the previous meeting, from the beginning Saturday we showed that we were the better team and came away with a fairly easy 3-0 victory.
I played the entire game in this matchup, for the first time since the previous meeting with Hvidovre. It felt good to contribute from the beginning and be able put my mark on the game in the way our offense was run. We passed well from the first serve and I was able to use all my options in attack. Our middles won nearly every ball, and Hvidovre committed quite a few hitting and service errors at inopportune moments (for them) to give us a comfortable 25-19 victory.
The reason Hvidovre was as close as they were in the first set was because they were able to get a lot of "block-out" balls by tooling our block. We adjusted in the second set and opened up a three or four point lead with some solid blocking by the front line. However, Hvidovre was able to go on a few runs of points off their own serve by giving us some trouble in reception. The game see-sawed back and forth with each team getting a few points off their own serve and taking a lead. At one point we were trailing 14-11, but we put together a run of points to take the lead at 17-15. I then went back and served seven balls in a row, which led to an easy win for the second set, 25-16.
The third set started off with Tue and Niels being switched at outside, and Morten Smith making an appearance towards the end of the set as well. In the early going we had some reception troubles from the second set still plaguing us, but by the middle of the set we had a lead of about three or four points. We continued to side out on the first ball nearly every time and got a few points here and there off our own serve to open up a solid lead. The set didn't end up being very close, with a 25-19 victory in our favor.
The strange thing about this match was the amount of points that both teams earned off their own serve. It was a quick match because of this; rather than the teams siding out and getting points bit by bit, both sides would go on runs of two or three points each time they had serve. On our part, we conceded the runs nearly always because of trouble in reception, but we earned the points off our own serve from solid counter-attacking and great blocking, especially in the run we had in the second set. I can't remember the last time I served so many balls in a row in a match, and I think at least half those points came from blocks by Dennis, Goat and Kesse. That big run we went on seemed to take the wind out of Hvidovre's sails, and they were forced to make several substitutions to slow us down. It was good to see us use the momentum and energy we had to finish them off in the final set. We now sit solidly in fourth place, but we're still taking each game one at at time, and as a group I think we have a good focus heading into our final three matches of the regular season.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Game v Middelfart
Saturday was our final regular season match against Middelfart, and like I mentioned in my last post, I had a good feeling going into the match and didn't expect it to be like the previous times we had faced them. We've actually played them four times this season, losing the two matches that counted (in the elitedivision) and winning the two practice matches (in the pre-season and post Christmas). Say what you will about the fact they were practice matches, but having already beaten them in whatever setting gives you the belief that you can do it again.
The first set started out close, but it definitely felt like we had all the momentum in the match from the beginning. In the opening half of the set, Middelfart was flat and seemed a bit shell-shocked as we came out playing well and winning balls in transition. In the last five points of the set, Dennis and I came in as part of a double switch for Morten and Kesse, and after a couple errors on our part, we sided out and took the set 25-23.
The second set offered more of the same, with each team getting a few points off their own serve and then surrendering a few to the opponent after a sideout. The points we gave up were more often than not due to good plays by Middelfart, as we made few attacking and service errors. Our passing was solid throughout, and we were able to set the ball away from their bigger blockers, something we had trouble with last time. We ended up taking the second set in "extra time" by a score of 28-26.
The third set saw us get in a bit of trouble midway through, and Middelfart opened up a lead of three or four points, the largest they had held all day. Their opposite won a few balls in transition for them and we were never able to completely close the gap. I came in for Morten when we reached about 15, and we were able to get a few points off our own serve from Niels, but ended up dropping the set 23-25.
The fourth set saw Morten back setting again, and this time we pressured Middelfart early into making mistakes. The set was back and forth the entire way, but a few timely blocks by Joakim, Niels, and our middles on their opposite took him out of the game and gave us confidence and momentum to take control of the set and win it 25-23.
As you can tell by the scores of the games, each set was very close, and with the exception of the third, we were always in control in the last five points. I think this was in a large part due to our passing, which was nearly always stable, and gave us the ability to side out well. Our previous game against Middelfart we gave up big runs of points, but this time we limited that and took our own chances when they came to us. It was without a doubt a close, hard fought game on both sides, but when it came down to the critical moments in a set to make a play and change the game, we were up to the task more often than they were.
Our form of late has been pretty good, and it feels like we are really hitting our stride, much as we had earlier in the season before the break for Olympic Qualifiers. This is good news for us, because I think we are a team that rides momentum from match to match, and a two match winning streak for any team is always good news. With the win we are up to fourth in the table, with the set difference putting us just ahead of Arhus. Hopefully we can continue our run of good play this Friday at Arhus and over (yet another) break in game action.
The first set started out close, but it definitely felt like we had all the momentum in the match from the beginning. In the opening half of the set, Middelfart was flat and seemed a bit shell-shocked as we came out playing well and winning balls in transition. In the last five points of the set, Dennis and I came in as part of a double switch for Morten and Kesse, and after a couple errors on our part, we sided out and took the set 25-23.
The second set offered more of the same, with each team getting a few points off their own serve and then surrendering a few to the opponent after a sideout. The points we gave up were more often than not due to good plays by Middelfart, as we made few attacking and service errors. Our passing was solid throughout, and we were able to set the ball away from their bigger blockers, something we had trouble with last time. We ended up taking the second set in "extra time" by a score of 28-26.
The third set saw us get in a bit of trouble midway through, and Middelfart opened up a lead of three or four points, the largest they had held all day. Their opposite won a few balls in transition for them and we were never able to completely close the gap. I came in for Morten when we reached about 15, and we were able to get a few points off our own serve from Niels, but ended up dropping the set 23-25.
The fourth set saw Morten back setting again, and this time we pressured Middelfart early into making mistakes. The set was back and forth the entire way, but a few timely blocks by Joakim, Niels, and our middles on their opposite took him out of the game and gave us confidence and momentum to take control of the set and win it 25-23.
As you can tell by the scores of the games, each set was very close, and with the exception of the third, we were always in control in the last five points. I think this was in a large part due to our passing, which was nearly always stable, and gave us the ability to side out well. Our previous game against Middelfart we gave up big runs of points, but this time we limited that and took our own chances when they came to us. It was without a doubt a close, hard fought game on both sides, but when it came down to the critical moments in a set to make a play and change the game, we were up to the task more often than they were.
Our form of late has been pretty good, and it feels like we are really hitting our stride, much as we had earlier in the season before the break for Olympic Qualifiers. This is good news for us, because I think we are a team that rides momentum from match to match, and a two match winning streak for any team is always good news. With the win we are up to fourth in the table, with the set difference putting us just ahead of Arhus. Hopefully we can continue our run of good play this Friday at Arhus and over (yet another) break in game action.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Game v Arhus
Our game against Arhus Thursday was an important one for a few reasons. We'd lost three matches in a row due to some poor play, and Arhus held a 4 point lead in the table heading into the match. It was also the date that I had set to be ready to return to the court, so I was pretty excited the whole day leading up to the game.
The match started off a bit shaky, reminiscent of our last home game against ASV. We were able to settle down, however, and sided out well for the most part. We had a few runs of trouble in reception, but were able to counter that with some good serving of our own to erase any deficits. We ended up winning fairly comfortably, 25-21.
The second and third sets were a disaster for Arhus. They couldn't do much right, and we were able to get a lot of points off our own serve, especially from Niels, who had to be man of the match for us, with great serving, passing, and attacking. The final scores were 25-16 and 25-11 in the last two sets, numbers which really do tell the whole tale of the games. We definitely caught them on a bad night, and we know we will have to be ready for a different opponent when we visit them in a week's time.
Morten played well and ran a good offense, so there was no need for me to play, but I'm disappointed that I didn't get any time because I feel like I could have used it to shake off my six week break (pardon the pun) of not playing any competitive matches. As much as you try it is hard to simulate the intensity and energy of a match, when everyone is jumping a little bit higher and giving that extra ounce of effort. I feel ready though, and I'm finally used to setting with two fingers taped together, but it still feels a bit weird. I'm looking forward to the Middelfart game Saturday, which should be a good one. I think they overwhelmed us the first two times we played them, but by now we know what to expect and we're playing with good energy and focus, so it should be a good fight. Hopefully I'll have some good news to write about on Monday.
As for my Super Bowl predictions, I think the Patriots are going to take it. I'm rooting for the Giants though because I want Belichick to lose, but it wouldn't be so bad if the Pats won and we got to see history being made. My final score is Pats 34 - Giants 17, and Brady gets his third Super Bowl MVP.
The match started off a bit shaky, reminiscent of our last home game against ASV. We were able to settle down, however, and sided out well for the most part. We had a few runs of trouble in reception, but were able to counter that with some good serving of our own to erase any deficits. We ended up winning fairly comfortably, 25-21.
The second and third sets were a disaster for Arhus. They couldn't do much right, and we were able to get a lot of points off our own serve, especially from Niels, who had to be man of the match for us, with great serving, passing, and attacking. The final scores were 25-16 and 25-11 in the last two sets, numbers which really do tell the whole tale of the games. We definitely caught them on a bad night, and we know we will have to be ready for a different opponent when we visit them in a week's time.
Morten played well and ran a good offense, so there was no need for me to play, but I'm disappointed that I didn't get any time because I feel like I could have used it to shake off my six week break (pardon the pun) of not playing any competitive matches. As much as you try it is hard to simulate the intensity and energy of a match, when everyone is jumping a little bit higher and giving that extra ounce of effort. I feel ready though, and I'm finally used to setting with two fingers taped together, but it still feels a bit weird. I'm looking forward to the Middelfart game Saturday, which should be a good one. I think they overwhelmed us the first two times we played them, but by now we know what to expect and we're playing with good energy and focus, so it should be a good fight. Hopefully I'll have some good news to write about on Monday.
As for my Super Bowl predictions, I think the Patriots are going to take it. I'm rooting for the Giants though because I want Belichick to lose, but it wouldn't be so bad if the Pats won and we got to see history being made. My final score is Pats 34 - Giants 17, and Brady gets his third Super Bowl MVP.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Game v Marienlyst
We went down to Odense on Saturday for our third match of the season against Marienlyst. We knew what to expect from Marienlyst going into the match, but I was unsure what our side would look like. We were short-handed, and only had nine people fit for the match, with me (finger), Tue (knee) and Joakim (alarm clock) unavailable for various reasons. As I had mentioned in my previous post, we needed to do something good away from home to get some positive momentum going for the final third of the season.
The match started off well for us. Marienlyst was playing with some people in different positions and some new starters on the floor, and we were able to take advantage of that and lots of mistakes on their part in the first set, which we won 25-21.
The second set started off well for us, with a 6-1 lead before Marienlyst called their first time out. They had their best team out on the floor at that point, and they slowly chipped away at our lead, scoring a point or two off their own serve each time they sided out. They tied it up at 15 apiece, and from there went on a 10-3 run to finish us off 18-25.
The third and fourth sets went the same way as the rest of the second set. Their setter gave us a lot of trouble off his serve and we couldn't get much going off our own. At the beginning of the fourth set we missed four of the six serves in the first rotation. The third and fourth sets ended up easily in their favor, 15-25 and 17-25.
It's unfortunate we weren't able to take advantage of the big lead we had in the second set. It was interesting to see how the moment we let up with a couple bad plays and mental errors, Marienlyst was able to jump on it and take control of the set. They are usually a team that celebrates pretty loudly, and they had been relatively quiet for most of the match, quieter than us in fact, but the moment our volume and intensity dropped, theirs rose. Maybe that contributed to the fact that they just overwhelmed us the last two sets, but I'm sure it was more than that. If we had been able to play error-free like we did in the first set, I think it would have been a closer game, because by no means were Marienlyst playing as well as they had the last two times we played them at home.
At any rate, we have to put that match out of our minds now and turn our attention to our weekday game Thursday against Arhus. In what is arguably our most important match of the season thus far, we need a win to close the four point gap between us. Tomorrow is also a big day for me, as I have my checkup with the doctor, so hopefully I get the good news that I can play Thursday.
The match started off well for us. Marienlyst was playing with some people in different positions and some new starters on the floor, and we were able to take advantage of that and lots of mistakes on their part in the first set, which we won 25-21.
The second set started off well for us, with a 6-1 lead before Marienlyst called their first time out. They had their best team out on the floor at that point, and they slowly chipped away at our lead, scoring a point or two off their own serve each time they sided out. They tied it up at 15 apiece, and from there went on a 10-3 run to finish us off 18-25.
The third and fourth sets went the same way as the rest of the second set. Their setter gave us a lot of trouble off his serve and we couldn't get much going off our own. At the beginning of the fourth set we missed four of the six serves in the first rotation. The third and fourth sets ended up easily in their favor, 15-25 and 17-25.
It's unfortunate we weren't able to take advantage of the big lead we had in the second set. It was interesting to see how the moment we let up with a couple bad plays and mental errors, Marienlyst was able to jump on it and take control of the set. They are usually a team that celebrates pretty loudly, and they had been relatively quiet for most of the match, quieter than us in fact, but the moment our volume and intensity dropped, theirs rose. Maybe that contributed to the fact that they just overwhelmed us the last two sets, but I'm sure it was more than that. If we had been able to play error-free like we did in the first set, I think it would have been a closer game, because by no means were Marienlyst playing as well as they had the last two times we played them at home.
At any rate, we have to put that match out of our minds now and turn our attention to our weekday game Thursday against Arhus. In what is arguably our most important match of the season thus far, we need a win to close the four point gap between us. Tomorrow is also a big day for me, as I have my checkup with the doctor, so hopefully I get the good news that I can play Thursday.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Games v Gentofte and Middelfart
Last Saturday we went down to Copenhagen to play Gentofte. We had beaten them in 5 the last time we met, in what was a home match for us. I figured the reverse fixture to be more difficult because of our poor form away from home of late, but I still thought we could beat them if we played some solid volleyball.
The first set was tight the whole way, with several lead changes throughout. We got a lot of our points off tough serves that led to overpass kills by our front line, and the final score ended up in our favor, 26-24.
We dropped the second set 22-25, but a late run of points in that set gave us some momentum to begin the next. We took advantage and in the third set lead for nearly the whole time, including a 24-19 lead. Several consecutive errors on our part let them back into the set, which we ended up dropping 29-31.
The complete collapse in the third set gave all the momentum back to Gentofte, and we trailed early in the fourth. However, we strung together a few runs of points from our own serve and got some good blocks to bring things level at around 15. I made a comment that this was what had happened last time we played Gentofte, so things were still looking good for us in my mind. However, Gentofte settled down and took control, winning the fourth easily, 20-25.
I think we have to feel this is a match we could have won. We did a good job of getting touches on the block and digging balls on defense, but in the end we couldn't put balls away in transition, which ultimately cost us a lot of potential points on our own serve. Failing to put those balls away allowed Gentofte to stay in the match, and give them credit for taking advantage of their opportunities.
The following Tuesday night we headed down to Middelfart for a make-up match that originally was scheduled during the Olympic volleyball qualifiers for Denmark. Middelfart was fresh off a win over Marienlyst (that few likely saw coming), so they had been playing some good volleyball lately without a doubt.
They ended up beating us in three, 18-25, 20-25, and 20-25. There were points in each set where the score was close, but ultimately Middelfart would pull away. The biggest problem for us was that there was at least one instance in each set where Middelfart went on a run of five or more points; in the third set they scored nine in a row.
I'd be interested to see the blocking statistics from this game, because that is definitely how they scored so many consecutive points. From my thinking back on the match, I would say they got around 15, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was higher. On our side of the net, our passing was pretty good for the match, but we didn't get much going in the middle, which I think is our best advantage over Middelfart. That led to a lot of two-man blocks on the outside and points for the opposition.
With two frustrating losses (for very different reasons) in a row, we have eleven days to prepare for an away game at Marienlyst (who is playing in the pokalfinal against Middelfart Sunday). I think it will be an important match for many reasons, perhaps most of all because we need to turn in a convincing performance away from home after three poor away matches (counting back to Hvidovre).
The last two matches have been difficult for me to watch, because I feel like I could make a difference if I was able to play. I can move my finger (nearly) into a fist without pain, but it still hurts like hell if anything moves it sideways or even if it gets jostled too much. High fives from Jonas don't feel too great either... I'm hoping to be ready for our home match against Århus, so keep your fingers crossed and we will see what the doctor says next Monday.
The first set was tight the whole way, with several lead changes throughout. We got a lot of our points off tough serves that led to overpass kills by our front line, and the final score ended up in our favor, 26-24.
We dropped the second set 22-25, but a late run of points in that set gave us some momentum to begin the next. We took advantage and in the third set lead for nearly the whole time, including a 24-19 lead. Several consecutive errors on our part let them back into the set, which we ended up dropping 29-31.
The complete collapse in the third set gave all the momentum back to Gentofte, and we trailed early in the fourth. However, we strung together a few runs of points from our own serve and got some good blocks to bring things level at around 15. I made a comment that this was what had happened last time we played Gentofte, so things were still looking good for us in my mind. However, Gentofte settled down and took control, winning the fourth easily, 20-25.
I think we have to feel this is a match we could have won. We did a good job of getting touches on the block and digging balls on defense, but in the end we couldn't put balls away in transition, which ultimately cost us a lot of potential points on our own serve. Failing to put those balls away allowed Gentofte to stay in the match, and give them credit for taking advantage of their opportunities.
The following Tuesday night we headed down to Middelfart for a make-up match that originally was scheduled during the Olympic volleyball qualifiers for Denmark. Middelfart was fresh off a win over Marienlyst (that few likely saw coming), so they had been playing some good volleyball lately without a doubt.
They ended up beating us in three, 18-25, 20-25, and 20-25. There were points in each set where the score was close, but ultimately Middelfart would pull away. The biggest problem for us was that there was at least one instance in each set where Middelfart went on a run of five or more points; in the third set they scored nine in a row.
I'd be interested to see the blocking statistics from this game, because that is definitely how they scored so many consecutive points. From my thinking back on the match, I would say they got around 15, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was higher. On our side of the net, our passing was pretty good for the match, but we didn't get much going in the middle, which I think is our best advantage over Middelfart. That led to a lot of two-man blocks on the outside and points for the opposition.
With two frustrating losses (for very different reasons) in a row, we have eleven days to prepare for an away game at Marienlyst (who is playing in the pokalfinal against Middelfart Sunday). I think it will be an important match for many reasons, perhaps most of all because we need to turn in a convincing performance away from home after three poor away matches (counting back to Hvidovre).
The last two matches have been difficult for me to watch, because I feel like I could make a difference if I was able to play. I can move my finger (nearly) into a fist without pain, but it still hurts like hell if anything moves it sideways or even if it gets jostled too much. High fives from Jonas don't feel too great either... I'm hoping to be ready for our home match against Århus, so keep your fingers crossed and we will see what the doctor says next Monday.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Best Possible News
After preparing myself to have surgery Monday morning, I showed up to the hospital and the hand specialist/surgeon said that I was not going to have it after all. According to her, there are two small, hard bones on the big knuckle on the palm-side of each of your fingers. When my finger broke, one of those small bones came apart from the finger (which would have been the chunk of bone I saw in the x-ray). If she were to go in and perform surgery, it would cause significant damage to the ligaments and tendons of the finger, so it turns out the best solution is to let the finger heal naturally.
I have a splint over the top of my finger that prevents me from bending it backwards or sideways at all. Every two hours I am supposed to try to make a fist and bend my pinky forward as much as I can. Right now there isn't much movement because it is still really swollen, but she says I should start seeing some progress soon. I have to wear the splint for three weeks, and I'll go see her again in two weeks to have a checkup. I'm happy to not have had the surgery, and things ended up working out as best they could, all things considered. I've started drinking lots of milk and taking more vitamins to help it heal, and I'm open to suggestions, so if you know any miracle bone-growth home remedies feel free to leave some comments...
I have a splint over the top of my finger that prevents me from bending it backwards or sideways at all. Every two hours I am supposed to try to make a fist and bend my pinky forward as much as I can. Right now there isn't much movement because it is still really swollen, but she says I should start seeing some progress soon. I have to wear the splint for three weeks, and I'll go see her again in two weeks to have a checkup. I'm happy to not have had the surgery, and things ended up working out as best they could, all things considered. I've started drinking lots of milk and taking more vitamins to help it heal, and I'm open to suggestions, so if you know any miracle bone-growth home remedies feel free to leave some comments...
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Bad News
I had a good Christmas break, visiting Spain and France with friends from home. However, during warm ups in the second practice back (Friday) while playing defense in pepper, a ball hit at my chest put my left pinky finger sideways at about a 45 degree angle. I had Morten put it back into place and iced it and put it into a splint. A day of rest saw no improvement however, so today I went to the hospital to have a doctor look at it and take some x-rays. The x-rays showed a sizeable chunk of bone floating near my big knuckle and the doctor says I need to have surgery Monday, and I will be out at least four weeks.
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