The women’s team beat Montenegro 3:1 (25-17, 25-20, 27-29, 25-18) and secured their place in next year’s EU final tournament. In the decisive final match of the qualifying competition in front of 1234 spectators at the Motonet Arena in Joensuu, the women’s team held up perfectly, and there was no sign of pressure in the volleyball matches.
Third place in a row at the European Championships and fifth overall for the women’s team.
Previous European Championships in which Finland has participated (place/number of participating countries):
- 2021 (18/24) win-loss: 1-4;
- 2019 (18/24) win-loss: 1-4;
- 1989 (1212)) win-loss: 0-7;
- 1977 (12/12) win-loss: 1-6.
Finnish debut: Kaisa Alanko, Pia Korhonen, Suvi Kokkonen, Jessica Kosonen, Netta Rekola, Rusa Laakkonen, Netta Laaksonen. Pia Korhonen started in these qualifications for the first time. It is important to note that this year UEFA Euro 2022 with the women’s and men’s teams will take place as follows.
In the eliminatory matches performed in Finland in Tampere, Turku, Seinäjoki, Salo, and Joensuu, men’s and women’s teams will battle at the European Volleyball Championship from the end of summer 2022. European Women’s qualifier match schedule:
- 21.8. 18:30 Montenegro – Finland (Pljevlja);
- 24.8. 18:30 Finland – Czech Republic (Seinäjoki, Seinäjoki areena);
- 27.8. 18:00 Finland – Iceland (Salo, Salohalli);
- 3.9. 18:00 Iceland – Finland (Kopavogur);
- 7.9. 19:00 Czech Republic – Finland (Tabor);
- 10.9. 17:30 Finland – Montenegro (Joensuu, Motonet areena).
Finland takes second place in their group in the women’s qualification. In the preliminary group of the European Championship, women will gather in the Czech Republic, Montenegro, and Iceland. From September 23 to October 15, the competitions of the Women’s Volleyball World Cup started.
The games were held in two different countries for the first time in the 70-year history of the Women’s World Cup. 23.9 in Arnhem matches of the Netherlands, Croatia – Poland (19:00), and the Netherlands – Kenya (21:00) were played. In total, one hundred volleyball matches will be played in the sports event.
Preliminary groups were challenged in Poland in Gdansk and Lodz, including the Netherlands in Arnhem. The secondary groups will be engaged in Rotterdam and Lodz, with the finals in Arnhem and Gliwice. In four main groups of six teams, they meet each other once.
The top four groups advance to the second round, where A and D and B and C form two columns and face players from different lines. The best four from the following coalition advance to the quarter-finals. After the competition is promoted to the final and the bronze medal game as a play-off.
Consequently, at the opening of the volleyball battle, the final lineups will be officially announced. The long lists included nine contestants from the Finnish Champions League with teams from six different countries. Ten European countries from 24 teams take part in the volleyball tournament.
Serbia is the reigning champion since 2018, having defeated Italy 3-2 in a thrilling final. After beating the Netherlands 3-0, China took bronze. The previous cup winner in the 2000s was USA -14, Russia -10, and Italy -02. A total of 16 countries have won medals and eight tournaments at 18 World Championships.
Hall of fame 2022
The most successful Finnish female volleyball player of all time is Riikka Lehtone. She has also made an international career in beach volleyball and is the 33rd inductee of the Finnish Volleyball Hall of Fame. Lehtonen’s career at the senior major league level spanned an amazing fifteen years, followed by a brilliant full-time beach sports career from 2014-2021.
The crowning achievement of Lehtonen’s career was victories in the most prestigious club team competition in the world – the Champions League in Cannes in 2002 and 2003. She won as many as 12 Finnish primacy in beach competitions, although 23 years passed between the first and last achievement.
Lehtonen has played seven European Championships and one World Championship. The Finnish Volleyball Hall of Fame was founded in 2016. Since then, several members of the committee have been elected annually to this honorary gallery.