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Sweden Needs Five to Beat Slovakia
Sweden led two sets to none, lost the next two and took the fifth 15-6. A crowd of 6,220 in Göteborg was a Swedish record for the women's game, according to CEV. Isabelle Haak scored 38 points.
Sweden led Slovakia two sets to none at the Scandinavium in Göteborg on Saturday and still needed all five to win it, 25-22, 25-16, 14-25, 22-25, 15-6.
A crowd of 6,220 watched it. CEV called the figure a Swedish attendance record for the women's game.
The fifth set was not close. Sweden took it 15-6.
Isabelle Haak Scored 38 Points
Haak was the best scorer in the match with 38 points and her sister Anna Haak added 17, so the two of them accounted for 55 of Sweden's total. CEV reported no other Swedish figure, on a night the rest of the roster mostly held the floor around the pair of them.
The only other individual figure CEV reported was Slovakia's Karin Sunderlikova, who had 11 points in the first set alone. Slovakia lost that set 25-22 and the second 25-16 before taking the third 25-14.
The Middle Two Sets Belonged to Slovakia
Sweden won its three sets by 21 points combined and lost its two by 14. The two it lost were consecutive, and that run is the only reason the match went the distance.
Isabelle Haak was asked afterwards what had happened in the middle of it.
Slovakia stepped up and successfully put a lot of pressure on us. We lost our momentum for a bit, and they used that going into the fourth set. We need to do better in the upcoming matches.
Sunderlikova's read from the other bench was not far off it.
Today, I think we showed that we know how to play against very strong teams. The energy we had on court today was very important.
Italy Did Not Need Five
Italy beat Montenegro 3-0 in the same building, 25-13, 25-20, 25-19, with Ekaterina Antropova serving six aces. It is Italy's second straight sweep in Göteborg.
Saška Đurović led Montenegro's scoring and put the start down to nerves at a first European Championship, saying things got better once the team relaxed. Paola Egonu had been asked about Isabelle Haak before Italy played.
I mean, we know there is an amazing player like Bella Haak, but also the rest of the team, so I think we'll just focus and try to make our own game and stay focused.
The championship is running in four cities at once, Göteborg, Istanbul, Brno and Baku, and runs to 6 September. Sweden's pool is the one being played at home, and Italy is in it.
Sweden has the attendance record and a win. Italy, in the same pool and the same building, has a sweep.
