20 games, 5 matches and 16 days is what it took to bring the national championship and thereby the double gold in a perfect season..
Describing all 5 finals would take forever to do. Both teams played with very few errors most of the time but also with a low aggressiveness which made the rallies long and full of amazing defence. The first 4 finals both teams won their matches on the road but lost at home, so before the 5th final which we had to play away from home, the statistics were on our side. However, the loss in the 4th final at home with 0-3 was hurting a lot on the whole team, the club and all the fans. Spirit was down and everyone just seemed a bit more tired than usual.
We spend 3 days on rebuilding and re-motivation the girls and we chose a completely different style of play going in to the last final. Having a tired team I chose to let everyone loose and just go for every possible kill in the match. It is often more fun to play that way, and when you have fun you forget you are tired… The girls went on court this Sunday at 2pm and played the best match they have played since we won the Cup final in January. We lost the 1st game 25-23 but then took the next 3 in a row 25-20, 25-18, 26-24. The gym went absolutely crazy among our fans and the rest of the crowd seemed kind a stunned. The way we entered this match, took control and never let go until it was over came as a surprise to everyone but us and that was exactly what we wanted…
On top of the 2 gold medals this season the team got 6 player awards as well… Juliane Daugaard made team of the year as a middle, Kristen Karlik made it as rightside, Katherine as outside. Katherine also got MVP of the league(2nd year in a row) and she got MVP in the Cup final as well. Jeanette(libero) was awarded the fighter award in the final series. 6 player awards that sends a clear signal to the rest of volley Denmark that this year our team was the strongest, and I think the club can be very proud to have put together a team like this, especially taking into consideration that the team lost a star player in outside hitter Caley Carter-Knudsen in January.
Season is over …. Saying goodbye!
When a season ends no matter winning or losing there is always the inevitable shower of tears from players, coaches and club members. Tears because you at the end of a road with your team. Next year the team will be different no matter what, and that is always a heartbreaking thing to go through. This year maybe more than normally since we have 3 players from our squad who is at the end of their volleyball career. Lotte Hauge(middle), Jette Breuning(middle) and Dorthe Windeleff(setter) are all quitting. On top of that our National team middle Juliane Daugaard is moving to Copenhagen for school and is therefore playing in a different team next season.
All 4 players will be missed beyond words and they will be close to impossible to replace. A big thanks to all 4 of them, Lotte, Dorthe and Jette good luck in your new life without elite volleyball, I wish you the best of things. Juliane you have the support of the whole team and the club making you changes to Copenhagen, and remember that the bond you have with these teammates will never go away no matter where you play.
At the same time our 3 American players are leaving to go home, and rather they are coming back or not is still not settled. The negotiations are in process and time will tell, but most likely scenario when looking at history is that 1 of them at the most will return but maybe none of them at all.
This leaves 7 big holes on the team compared to the team that won the finals and there is a big job at hand for the club over the next few months. First of all a new set of goals needs to be made, then a coaching staff that lives up to the goals set by the club and then rebuilding the team to match the goals and the coaching staff. All of those things depending on ability to raise money and support from the local industry and the city to reach those goals.
The above written also means that I myself have not yet decided where I will be going from here. The support from the team has been indescribable and there is no doubt that the club and I will work to re-sign the contract, but nothing is sure for now and even though both parts are interested there are still many things that needs to be taken in to consideration.
So for now I would like to send out a huge thanks to the club and the board for the big work they have been doing over the last 9 months. Bringing the gold back to town is also a result of the hard work being done behind the curtains. Congratulations!!
A big thanks to all the sponsors for their support, without you it would never have been even close to possible, and this also goes for the city and all the support the local media shows in the work we do in Fortuna. Thank you all a ton..!!
Right now it is time to celebrate and in a little while I will figure out what the future brings for me, all I know for sure is that I will be involved in volleyball and I want to be coaching as much as I can.
Mini
“Our house… In the middle of our street… our house…!”
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