A Swedish #EuroVolleyW fairytale for the Lazić sisters
Story of the day
“For 38 years we have waited, longed and strived. Now our women's national team is back in the European Volleyball stage. And this is only the beginning,” is what the Swedish Volleyball Federation wrote on their Facebook page after the Women’s national team qualified for the 2021 #EuroVolleyW back in May this year.
The qualification for Europe’s most elite national competition was a big achievement indeed, but what Isabelle Haak and her teammates delivered throughout the competition, can be described as “a fairytale come true”. On Saturday, the Swedish players disappointed the home crowds in Plovdiv, eliminating in the eighth finals the strong team of Bulgaria. This victory has an additional meaning for the team, as thanks to it, the Swedish ladies are directly qualified for the 2023 European Championship.
Two of the players in the Swedish team, the sisters Alexandra and Rebecka Lazić, have been two of the happiest on the court after the win over the Bulgarian Lionesses, having had a long, 10-years, journey with the national team, waiting for a moment like this.
Rebecka Lazić“We had a lot of emotions the night after the game against Bulgaria. We kind of didn’t wanna leave the hall. We wanted to stay in that moment a little bit longer because it’s something that we have dreamt about.”
Player of Sweden
Sweden are considered a really small Volleyball nation, compared to the rest of the #EuroVolleyW teams, the Lazić sisters share.
"We have been with the team for more than 10 years, and we have been fighting for so long. We have been through so many qualifications, trying to arrive at this level. It’s been a hard work for many years. Now, we have this groip of players who try to go abroad and to grow, to see Volleyball in a much bigger perspective. I think that’s what it’s changing the picture right now,” Rebecka says.
The two sisters hope that the successful performance at #EuroVolleyW can serve as a boost for the younger generations to take up on the sport.
Alexandra Lazić"In 10 years time, I don’t know how much we will be playing, but I hope that our story will be inspiring for the kids in Sweden. For example, that they play in schools, like they do it in Serbia, or that everybody on the street knows how to play it, too. That would be our dream!”
Player of Sweden
What was the key to beating Bulgaria in such a hard-fought eighth-finals match?
Alexandra Lazić“Joy was what brought the success. We really enjoyed how we played. When we lost the first set, we were surprised, but then we said each other ‘Hey, we are here, let’s just enjoy it. When we started enjoying it, we started fighting more. Joy beats tension. Bulgaria were under tension, we were the underdogs, but we enjoyed it and reminded ourselves of why we were there.”
Player of Sweden
Besides enjoying each minute on the court, the Swedish team count on a great family feeling. The sisters in the team, Anna and Isabelle Haak, & Alexandra and Rebecka Lazić, contribute for the creation of a great, sisterhood atmosphere.
"I for sure believe that a family nearby, a sister, is something really special. It gives you some kind of strength and support. All the girls are supporting each other. We are like a family, we are trying to make the other girls feeling like sisters as well. Have this family sensation on the court is something very important," Rebecksa says.
On Tuesday, the team of Sweden couldn't repeat their success, and their #EuroVolleyW journey was stopped by The Netherlands in the quarter-finals. However, this competition might have been only the beginning of an even greater dream...
In the other quarter-final match that took place in Plovdiv, Turkey shut out the team of Poland.
