Game v Gentofte

Sunday afternoon we kept our hopes alive of a 3rd place finish with a 3-1 victory over Gentofte. Although we don't completely control our own destiny, it's still good to know we have a chance. We had won the last five matches heading into the game, and had been playing pretty solidly all around, so we obviously wanted to continue that and get another win over a top four team.

We started the first set off with a lead of a few points and continued to keep it throughout most of the game. Our passing was stable and I had all three options nearly every time in reception, and our hitters did a good job of putting balls away the first time in each rotation. We had a rough patch in the middle of the set where Gentofte was able to run off a few points in a row and tie it up, but when we got around 20 we took control back and finished the set up to win 25-22.

The second set was completely different from the first and wasn't close at all. Gentofte brought in a new outside hitter, but that didn't help things much for them. We blocked really well and had the lead for nearly the entire time. We ended up easily taking the set 25-15.

Heading into the third, we expected Gentofte to put up a better fight than they did in the second, an assumption which turned out to be very accurate. They raised their level of play a bit from the previous set, but unfortunately ours took a step backwards. We made some mistakes we shouldn't have and I think I went away from the things that made us successful in the first two sets. We had the lead at 23-22, but Gentofte got a sideout and a couple points to take the set 23-25.

The fourth started with Dennis and Joakim switched, and our side getting back to the gameplan that helped us win the first two sets. The game was close most of the way, but I never felt any doubt that we would take the set. We definitely did not want to go five with Gentofte, and we were able to refocus and pass and attack well enough to avoid a fifth frame. For me, the key was our blocking in the fourth set. We served tough enough to force them away from the middle, and were able to limit the success of their outsides, which allowed us to take the set 25-22.

I feel like we have had our ups and downs this season in terms of team play, but it feels like we are reaching our peak at the right time. The last couple months have been pretty good, and it is nice to see that reflected in the win-loss record. You can say or think that you are playing well but if you aren't getting the results then it can wear on a team. I think the winning streak has given us a good, positive attitude that makes us believe we can win any game, which will be an important belief to have for the playoffs.

Thanks to Joakim for the video, you can read his thoughts on the game here.