Storasyster Hellvig inför hemma-EM: ”Min tur nu”

Göteborg står inför veckor av volleybollfest när Europa mästerskapet inleds den 21 augusti. För första gången någon gång kommer svenska damvolleybollspelare att uppleva ett internationellt mästerskap på hemmaplan, med Scandinavium som epicecenter. Det är en historisk händelse för sporten enin Sweden – och en personlig milestone för många spelar i truppen, däribland 26-åriga Hanna Hellvig, bror to the beachvolleyboll champion.

Hellvig, who grew up in a family where volleyball has always been central – parents have both played at elit level in Swedish series, and her little sister Agnes also plays – describes the feeling of being part of this moment with a mix of pride and disbelief.

– One must look back at all the years I have been involved. That we have gotten this far as a team and that Swedish volleyball has developed to the point where we can arrange such a large championship. It’s actually wild, she says.

Her brother, Jonatan Hellvig, won Olympic gold in beach volleyball, but Hanna reveals with a smile that it was she who was the original inspiration figure in the family, before he was even active in the sport. – He actually played football in the beginning. It was I who inspired him to choose volleyball, she notes, and quickly adds that she still sees herself as not fully stepping out of his shadow. – He shines all the time, so I just try to hang in his wake.

The team that will now take to the floor in the Scandinavium is relatively young and newly assembled, but the level both on an individual and collective level impresses the more experienced Hellvig. – It’s a fairly new team and I am proud of all the younger players. They have a high standard compared to how it has been earlier. We have really improved and develop every day. We have a hungry group, she says.

Most of the Swedish team’s players earn their living abroad – in leagues in Poland, Japan, Germany, and the USA, among others – a representation which shows the breadth and quality of the Swedish development system. Hellvig herself plays for Uni Opole in Poland. The Scandinavian group now consists of players with experiences from many different ties, from international leagues to more domestic based clubs. Among the names in the selected squad are several established fixtures, such as Anna Haak, who plays in Japan, Isabelle Haak in Italy and Hilda Gustafsson in Switzerland, while younger talents like Maya Tabronplyer their trade in the USA.

Despite not being described as obvious favorites, Hellvig believes that the team has good chances in the championship, even if their immediate group is challenging. Sweden has been placed in a group with, among other countries, Italy, reigning both world and Olympic champions – a team that is considered one of the continent’s absolute top sides. – It will be exciting to play against the best teams in Europe and to do exactly that in front of our own audience, says Hellvig.

– We are perhaps a little underdogs, not exactly out of our group, but then when the later stage of the tournament perhaps could be a more challenging. The main thing is to take ourselves through the first group step. After all, everything can happen in volleyball, it depends on which opponents we get, but I believe we have good chances, she continues.

The preparation for the tournament has included a training camp in Italy, something that appears positively. – It has worked very well together as a group. There are many younger players this year, so they knew each other already in advance, and we, the more experienced players, also know each other. Getting new people in is becoming more natural process, she says.

The championship starts on August 21 at 19:00, with Sweden meeting Montenegro in the opening match. For Hellvig, this tournament is expected to be one of the biggest and most memorable ones of his career. – It will be super cool, she concludes.

The Swedish team roster for the European Championships includes players from various positions; setters, libero, centers, and wing spikers, with experience from Sweden as well as professional leagues in Europe, Asia, and the US.