Ploki Women’s Regional Series player Sanni Siekkinen shares how the women’s team fared:
On Saturday, January 14, a two-game tournament was held at Keltinmäki School. It was an unusual day as our coach, Miko Siekkinen, couldn’t be present due to his own game. Laura Kumpulainen took charge and coached us while playing herself.
The first game started at 11:45 against Äänekoski athletes. The set began strongly and continued that way until the end. The set was close, but through solid performances, we secured a set victory with a score of 25-21.
The second set started evenly, with points coming almost alternately. There was a bit of haste in our team’s performance. However, we took the lead towards the end of the set at 20-17. This lead wasn’t quite enough, and ÄU won the second set 21-25.
However, we went into the break with good spirits. The game was in our team’s hands. With small adjustments, the encouragement and advice from coach Laura and team captain Alisa Mäkelä, we entered the final set with a determination to win. The third set was very good, and we finished the last set with a 25-15 victory!
The second game against Riemu started immediately after the previous one. The team’s performance looked good. We fought for every point and secured a set victory with a score of 25-21.
The second set continued at a good pace and also ended in our favor, 25-14.
We entered the third and final set with a good feeling. There was some rush at times, but it wasn’t anything significant. We kept scoring points, and the situation was already 24-18 in our favor. There were several set points, the ending was a bit challenging, but through them, the last set also ended in our favor, 25-22! So, we won the second game with a score of 3-0!
With a good feeling, we headed home after enjoying some food!