Dramatic golden set sees Portugal win title in the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League Women
Review
Portugal recorded an otherworldly comeback to secure the title in the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League Women, after being written off with a 0:3 loss in the first leg of the final against Finland, only to bounce back, push the final into the golden set and taking it after a hard-fought battle, 23:21.
On their home court, in the first leg, Portugal felt the pressure and were thoroughly dominated by Finland, which took a clear 3:0 win, 25:17; 25:21; 25:11, as Finland’s Rosa Bjarregaard-Madsen and Ada Aronen combined for 33 points.
But with nothing to lose for the second leg in Tampere, Portugal went there and delivered a huge upset, especially after conceding a loss in the first set, 21:25, as Finland needed only one more set to clinch the title.
More impressive was that Finland had dominated the 2024 CEV Volleyball European Silver League Women with ease until that point, having won all the seven matches played, dropping only three sets in the process.
But, somehow, the thought of winning easily might have crept into the Scandinavian side’s mentality, and Portugal’s never-say-die attitude brought them back into the match, slowly, but surely, with every ensuing set becoming a tough battle.
Outside spiker Alice Clemente had 21 points, opposite Julia Kavalenka added 17 points, while Amalia Cavalcanti had 18 points herself, as Portugal pushed the match into the golden set, taking the next three sets, 25:22; 25:23 and 26:24.
And there it was, Finland backed into a corner, Portugal having all the momentum, with the golden set deciding everything, as the two teams traded blows throughout the whole set, until Portugal had the decisive initiative, to seal a 23:21 hard-fought win, which saw them clinch the title in a totally unexpected fashion.
This was the best-ever performance for Portugal, which had previously reached the final in the CEV Volleyball European Silver League Women in 2022, but lost in straight sets against Sweden, having also made the semi-finals twice, in 2021 and 2023.