Up and running once again..

Ok so it has been a while since I wrote anything last on this blog.. However, I have decided to pick it up once again and still bring some of my own thoughts about volleyball in general, my team(Vordingborg VK) and the competitions we are part of.

As I said I am now coaching Vordingborg VK’s elite women’s team in the Danish top league – “Volleyligaen”. I live in Præstø which is about 20min. from where we practice and play our home games, and I live here with my girlfriend, Ingrid who also plays on the team.

Where are we at...

Season is already 1/3 of the way and we have started out 6-1 in the league putting us in 2nd place at the moment, and we have qualified for the ½ final in the Danish Cup tournament. All in all a good start on the season, and we are working hard on getting the team settled after having a few players joining us just recently.

I will give a presentation of the team player by player in my next article, but to round this little teaser off in a good way, I will give you my views on the competition in the league this year;
There are 8 teams in the top league out of which 7 teams has at least 3 pro foreign players. All teams play each other 3 times in regular season before the start of playoffs.

The teams..

The current number 1 seed is HolteIF
Holte has started the season 7-0 and they will be our opponent in the ½ final in the cup tournament. The teams holds several Danish national team players and they have added 2 Canadian girls(setter and middle) as well as an Australian middle and an Icelandic National team outside to the mix.
Holte is expected to make the playoffs as well as a final as they always are, but this could be the year where they will face the toughest competition ever, as many teams have made a move for the playoffs. However, Holte is undefeated so far and they play a very consistent level with great block/defense.
My guess is that Holte will finish regular season in 3rd place.

The current number 2 seed is VordingborgVK
My own team is in 2nd place right now. We have had some player changes right as regular season was about to start, but we managed to come out of it with 6 wins and only 1 loss so far. We have 5 American girls on the team, 4 local Danish girls and 3 Danish imports from Copenhagen and Odense. Our goal is to play an aggressive and opportunistic offense, while being very disciplined in block/defense.
My guess is that we will finish regular season in 2nd place.

The current number 3 seed is BrøndbyVK
Brøndby is in my eyes the strongest team in the league this far. They have 4 pro American girls, 1 pro Scottish player as well as last year’s league MVP(their Danish setter) and 5 other Danish national team players. The team has currently a 5-1 record and they are in the ½ final in the cup tournament.
Brøndby have big blockers on all positions and they have a very strong passing line. This makes them capable of running a very fast offense as well as giving them great chance to play transition with their big blockers making it hard for the other team to make points.
My guess is that Brøndby will finish regular season in 1st place

The current number 4 seed is FrederiksbergVK
This team has 4 pro foreign players on the team, 3 American girls and recently added a Canadian middle. They also have our national team backup setter. They have a 3-4 record at the moment.
We have played this team 3 times already and won all 3 times(one of them in the cup tournament). They struggle a lot in their passing line with 2 very young liberos and I see that as their biggest weakness. They are in 4th place right now and that is why I am guessing them to finish 4th in regular season, but if their passing does not get better then I see other teams as a potential threat to that 4th place and the last spot in the playoffs.

The current number 5 seed is Fortuna-Odense Volley
Fortuna has a tradition of making the finals the past many years, both in the championship and in the cup tournament. So far they are in the ½ finals in the cup where they play Brøndby, and they are in 5th place in the league after a very slow start on the season leading them to a 2-4 record.
Fortuna lost in their season opener to the only team without pro players, and that loss is currently what is keeping them out of the playoff picture. Furthermore they have lost to Frederiksberg who is the team they need to pass to get in to the playoffs.
This team has an American coach and it has been inspiring to watch what he is trying to do with the girls. They have their own unique style of passing and blocking especially. However, this is also the smallest roster in the league with only 8/9 players, but they have 2 pro American girls as well as an Estonian pro outside hitter. Also on the team is the Danish national team captain.
My guess is that Fortuna will finish regular season in 5th place, but I am not ready to cut them out of the race for 4th just yet.. A lot of answers will be given over the next 3 weeks.

The current 6th seed is AarhusVolley
Aarhus is the only team in our league who has a team with only Danish players. They started the season with a big win 3-2 against Fortuna which was an upset to most people. Since then they lost 4 of their past 5 matches taking them to a 2-4 record. The only other team they have beaten is the bottom team, and I have a hard time seeing Aarhus playing more tricks on any of the top teams.
They have big roster, but many of their players are former national team girls who is no longer practicing a whole lot, and that shows in their matches. They have a top level which allows them to compete in a set or two each match, but keeping the level is where they struggle.
My guess is that Aarhus will finish regular season in 8th place.

The current 7th seed is LyngbyVolley
Lyngby is a team of 3 pro players(2 Americans and 1 Brasilian), then they have 4 very young and very talented players at the ages of 15/16 and to that mix they have added 4 girls who have all had their prime some years ago, but who can still contribute with experience and consistency.
Lyngby started season with their American outside hitter who is also coaching the team breaking her ankle, and she has not yet played a match for the team. They are at a 1-5 record and they struggle trying to run the fast tempo offense that half the team can master, but the rest can’t.
This team also has problems with the fundamentals of the game, but with 4 young girls working hard to get better I have a small hope that Lyngby will surprise a few as they also will get their coach/outside back on court soon.
My guess is that Lyngby will finish regular season in 6th place. They still have a small chance making playoffs as they are only 2 wins away from 4th spot and those wins may very well come as they get their full team back, but until we have seen what difference the American coach/outside can make I have them in 6th place.

The current 8th seed is Gentofte Volley
Gentofte aimed high from the start of the season hiring coach of the year 3 years ago and former men’s National team setter, Søren Hansen, but the results have not gone their way this year.
Gentofte has 3 pro Polish girls on the team, but one of them is yet to play her first match sitting out with an injury, and the players around the remaining 2 Polish girls are just not performing consistent enough to win matches. Gentofte has lost 2 times 2-3 and has also played some close games against Holte and Brøndby, but each time they fall on inconsistency.
Gentofte has a lot of young players who all have good ball control, but the lack of experience is hurting them a lot it seems, and to top that off their passing line is in my eyes the worst in the league.
I do however see them getting things right later in season and with just 2 or 3 wins they can find themselves in 6th place quickly, but I guess them to finish regular season in 7th place.


Those were my thoughts on each team in the top league this year.. Soon I will give a presentation on each player we have on the team in Vordingborg, but for now this was all.. I am excited though, to start up the blog again and I hope people are still following it..

Michael