Voitto Köykkä is Lauri Kerminen’s successor. The young libero plays at a really high level.
Voitto Köykkä has earned his place as the top club’s number one libero. Jari Welling
Moved from Giesen, Germany to Trefl Gdansk in the summer Voitto Köykkä, 24, is the only Finnish player in the world’s toughest volleyball league, the Polish Plus League.
The libero Köykkä from Vilppula played in Finland for four and a half years in Akaa-Volley and last season in Giesen with a very upward trend, but he got to Poland largely because of his performances for the Finnish national team.
When one of the superstars of Finnish volleyball Lauri Kerminen was boycotted by the national team after continuing to play in Russia, Köykkä got his chance to shine, although he has of course already played in two European Championships.
– I don’t want to comment on Lauri’s stuff like that. He is my good friend.
– Of course, becoming the number one libero was an important thing. Although already in my first European Championship, we played a match against Turkey here in Gdansk, so that I was the defensive libero and Lauri was the receiving libero, says Köykkä.
A strong season
Trefl Gdansk has played a strong early season and is going to the playoffs in Plusliga. The 179-centimeter Köykkä has been a big part of his team.
– I have entered the team very well. It has been peaceful to play. It hasn’t always been easy, but here you learn a lot when you get to play Plusliiga hard games all the time, said Köykkä after the victorious Zaksa match.
The story continues after the picture
Lauri Kermi (left) has not been seen in the national team since his decision to go to Russia. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
– The aim is of course the playoffs. A medal there would be a great achievement. Let’s hope that the games will continue to go well.
The consonant-rich Polish language still doesn’t bend after a few months from Köyka.
– I understand Poland very little. Of course I can say thank you and say I’m hungry. I don’t have a good command of the language, but at least my English is improving. It makes it easier that the English here is probably even worse than mine.
You praise Sammelvuo
In the middle of Köykä’s interview in front of 7,000 spectators, the head coach of Zaksa, which has just suffered a defeat Tuomas Sammelvuo will voluntarily praise Köykä.
– I hope that in Finland it would be understood at what level Voitto is playing now. It’s always easy to praise only reception and defense, but as a coach, I’ve been more impressed with Voito’s control of the game and management of the backfield, Sammelvuo praises.
– In the Finnish national team, it might be easier for Voito when there are people from his own country around. But Voito has the personality and selfishness to shine here too with his calmness and body language. There are quotas for foreigners in Poland, but Voitto has used its opportunity, Sammelvuo continues.
Even Köykkä goes so far as to praise Sammelvuo, whose team’s downing was a very big deal for Trefl Ganski.
– I already remember Tuomas as a player. Even then, he always went with a tough attitude, the so-called monkey fury. I have a funny memory of Vilppula Tähti’s C juniors from the SC finals, where Tuomas was the prize giver. That’s when the tickets came.
– If I had got here to Poland directly, without the German steppe, it could have been more difficult. I liked Germany, and it was easy to go to Giesen when there were other Finns there.
In a beach town
Trefl Gdansk’s home hall Ergo-arena is on the border between Gdansk and Sopot. Köykkä lives in the beach town of Sopot with his girlfriend who is from Akaia and works remotely in Poland.
Köykä’s parents and brother still live in Vilppula, and he can’t even get to his home region for Christmas. In Vilppula Tähte, Köykkä had time to play in both the Second and First Series.
Mikko Esko about the possible appointment as Finland’s new head coach, Köykkä knows nothing but the first news.
– Probably none of the players have been informed about it yet. At least Mikko knows about volleyball, as does his wife. The whole family seems to know, so it’s a great option, Köykkä laughs.