Multiple reports indicate Örebro Volley won its first quarterfinal comfortably, defeating Sollentuna 3-0 with a dominant 25-4 score in the final set. Coach Jonas Håård was astonished by his team's performance in that match. Major media sources also describe Gislaved as somewhat of a dream opponent for Örebro Volley.
However, the clarity from the quarterfinal contrasts sharply with the confusion surrounding the subsequent match against Gislaved. According to some reports, Örebro Volley won at home with 3-0 (25–17, 25–17, 25–18) in sets and has decided the match series against Linköping. Yet, other sources claim Örebro Volley lost to Gislaved in the women's Elitserie on Sunday, with the match being even and Gislaved eventually winning 3-2 in sets.
This discrepancy affects not only team narratives but also the integrity of the championship standings, calling for official verification. Linköping VC's playoff journey has been mixed, with the team losing 0–3 in a semifinal held in Örebro. On a positive note, Linköping VC won 3–0 in sets at home against Säters IF on the day after Easter.
Yet, Hästhagen from Nacka won the first qualifier match against Linköping VC with a 3–1 score in Sporthallen. The current standing of Linköping VC in the playoffs remains unclear. In another semifinal series, Örkelljunga has not had anything to gain against Hylte/Halmstad, with three matches and a 9–0 set record against them.
A team has advanced to the SM-semifinal after three straight wins and now faces the champions in the semi. Turning to the disputed match, Örebro Volley started poorly against Gislaved, forcing a timeout at 1-4. The team made three early service errors, allowing Gislaved to maintain a lead.
Gislaved led by four points at 6-10 and 12-16 in the first set. A key turning point came when Örebro Volley equalized at 19-19 after a double substitution with Agnes Hellvig and Ewelina Granberg. Ewelina Granberg scored two attack points and one block point during this substitution.
Gislaved responded with a mini-rally to 19-22 before Örebro Volley mounted a counterattack. The first set ended dramatically with Hilkka Hujanen serving an ace via the net edge to give set point at 24-23. Örebro Volley won the first set 31-29 after three saved set points and a hard back spike by Sabrina Phinizy.
In the second set, play was initially even until 9-9, with mistakes in serve and attack from both sides. Örebro Volley pulled ahead to 16-10 and won the set easily 25-17 due to Gislaved's difficulty in attack against tight blocks and defense. After 9-9, Gislaved only took three attack points in the second set.
Örebro Volley started the third set strongest, leading 8-3 and 11-7. Hedda Broberg won a crucial net duel, and Agnes Hellvig sealed the match with a block on Gislaved's Saga Nilsson to win 26-24. Tactically, Örebro Volley had some slumps with less effective attack play but attacked better when needed compared to recent loss matches.
Gislaved served with great speed, but Örebro Volley handled it well overall. A key difference was Örebro Volley's substitutions contributing positively in all sets. Individually, Örebro Volley controlled Gislaved's national team player Saga Nilsson's sharp attack play, keeping guest attack points low.
Kerstin Wolf-Watz was chosen as MVP, scoring 13 points including 11 in attack. Sabrina Phinizy was good and won several important attack points when most needed. Looking ahead, there will be a training week before a little Christmas break.