| Urpo Sivula | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Full name | Urpo Sivula | ||||
| Born | 15 March 1988 Kuru, Finland | ||||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||||
| Volleyball information | |||||
| Position | Outside hitter | ||||
| Current club | Gabeca Pallavolo Spa | ||||
| Number | 10 | ||||
| Career | |||||
| |||||
| National team | |||||
| |||||
Urpo Sivula (born 15 March 1988) is a Finnish professional volleyball player. During the 2008 season he played in the Finland Volleyball league team Pielaveden Sampo. Sivula plays wing-spiker.
Sivula started his career with his friends at seven years old. His first team was Kurun Ryhti, from Kuru. Soon his talent began to be recognized and Sivula started to play in Virtain Veikot, where he won two Finland Junior Championships.
When Sivula turned sixteen he moved to Kuortane. There he started study and training with the best junior players in Finland. For two years he lived in Kuortane and played third highest level in Finland during the 2004–2005 season, and second highest level in Finland during the 2005–2006 season. He became Finland's junior team captain in 2004, and also he played on the Finland national team with boys two years older than he. There he became friends with Mikko and Matti Oivanen, Simo-Pekka Olli and Konstantin Shumov.
Before Sivula played a game in the Finland league he got a call from the men's national team head coach, Mauro Berruto. Berruto wanted Sivula to join his team immediately. Sivula started to play in the men's national team at the age of 18. His first national team game in Finland caused a sensation. Sivula entered the court during a crucial point in the game, hit two points, and Finland won the first game ever in the volleyball world league. The whole summer Sivula played in the national team, and helped them earn a place in the European Championships.
In the European Championships 2007 Sivula and the Finland national team played amazing volleyball. The team beat World Championships silver medalists Poland, and World Championships bronze medalists Bulgaria. Finland lost only two games, and both in medal games. Finland played against Spain to the final, but it lost to Spain. Sivula played in World League 2008 with Finland. He was one of the leading players on the team that whole summer. He made his breakthrough in the Finland national team.
After Sivula played on the national team during summer 2006, all the teams at Finland's highest level wanted Sivula. Finally Sivula signed a contract with Pielaveden Sampo. The contract lasted two years, with a third optional year. The first season in the league Sivula was recognized as one of the best players in the league. He won with Sampo Finland Cup-Champion, and played himself CEV-Cup quarterfinal. In the Finland league Sampo lost its final division game against Rovaniemen Santasport. Finals were some of the best ever seen in the Finland league. After the season Sivula was chosen as the best newcomer in the league.
Sivula started his second league season in Finland with big expectations. The media expected that Sivula would be the ultimate discovery in the league. In the first game that season Sivula played amazing volleyball. The Finnish media described the game as the "Sivula show." In the international court Sivula also played well. Against the Italian A1-league team Roma Volley, Sivula was the best spiker of both teams on the court.
During the 2007–2008 season Sampo played in the Challenge Cup quarterfinal; there they had a narrow loss against Russian Superleague team Lokomotiv Ekaterinburg. Sampo won again in the Finland cup-championship, but in the league they lost again to Rovaniemen Santasport in finals. That was a big disappointment for Sivula and Sampo.
After the season Sivula received many prizes. Finland's biggest newspaper, Ilta-Sanomat recognized him as the best player in the league. Finland's favourite volleyball site, hotsport.info, also chose Sivula as the best player in the league, and in the all-stars team. Also Sport Channel chose him for the All-Star team. During the 2008–09 season Sivula started in Pielaveden Sampo. He led his team to the Finland Cup-finals. The final game was his last game in Finland. He was named the best player of the game. After the game he signed a contract with the Galatasaray volleyball club of Turkey. [1]
Sivula changed Turkey league after his first season to Italian volleyball league. There his coach was Mauro Berruto, who coached also in Finnish volleyball national team.
Club:
Personal:
Kari Lehtonen is a Finnish former professional ice hockey goaltender who played 14 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Atlanta Thrashers and Dallas Stars. He was selected second overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Thrashers, becoming the highest-drafted European goaltender, as well as being tied with Patrik Laine, Alexander Barkov and Kaapo Kakko for the highest-drafted Finnish player in NHL history.
Taye Ismaila Taiwo is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Kakkonen club SalPa.
Pielaveden Sampo is a professional volleyball club based in Pielavesi, a small town in Eastern Finland. The club is one of the most successful teams in the Finland volleyball league. The team has become a national champion in the national volleyball league three times, in 2004, 2005, and 2009, and has been the first runner-up in 2001, 2007, 2008, and 2010. Sampo has also won a bronze medal in 2002 and 2003. There have also been plenty of famous players playing on the team, e.g. Olli Kunnari and Urpo Sivula. One of Sampo's owners is a well-known volleyball player, Tuomas Sammelvuo.
Tapio Kangasniemi is a former professional volleyball player from Finland. He played libero in Finnish volleyball team since 2001. Kangasniemi retired from national team in summer 2008. He works now as a volleyball coach.
Olli-Pekka "Lelu" Ojansivu is a retired Finnish professional volleyball player who was a member of the Finland men's national volleyball team.
Olli Kunnari is a Finnish volleyball player. He is currently one of the key players in the Finnish national volleyball team. During the early years of his career, he played in the Finnish Champion league. In year 2004, he left Finland to play in the French Pro-A Volleyball league where he played until the season of 2009. Olli played the 2009 season in the Polish league. His current team Olympiacos SC, the volleyball team of the Greek sports club Olympiacos.
Mikko Esko is a Finnish volleyball player, a member of Finland men's national volleyball team and Finnish club Vammalan Lentopallo.
Pasi Hyvärinen is a volleyball player from Finland. He has played for Muuramen Lentopallo and Keski-Savon Pateri in the Finnish Championship league. For Season 2010–2011 he joined the GFCO Ajaccio team in French Ligue A. Hyvärinen is a member of Finland men's national volleyball team.
Mikko Oivanen is a Finnish volleyball player, a member of Finland men's national volleyball team.
Matti Tapio Oivanen is a Finnish volleyball player, a member of Finland men's national volleyball team and Finnish club Hurrikaani Loimaa. His twin brother is Mikko Oivanen also volleyball player.
Antti Siltala is a Finnish professional volleyball player who has played in Greek, Turkish and Polish leagues. He also plays for the Finland men's national team.
Team Lakkapää is a professional volleyball team from Rovaniemi, Finland. The team played three seasons in Finland volleyball league, the country's highest level. They won two league championships in 2007 and 2008.
Vammalan Lentopallo — Valepa is a volleyball team in southwest Finland founded in 1978. It is based in the Vammala district of the town of Sastamala, in the Pirkanmaa Region. Valepa plays in the highest level in Finland.
Jukka Lehtonen is a professional volleyball player from Finland who joins GFCO Ajaccio in French Ligue A for season 2010–2011. He is also the captain of Finland men's national volleyball team.
Salon Piivolley is a Finnish volleyball team from Salo, Finland. It was founded in 1999. The team plays in the Finland volleyball league.
Hurrikaani Loimaa is a Finnish volleyball team, located in Loimaa. Club play in highest level in Finland on volleyball, SM-league.
Oliver Venno is an Estonian volleyball player currently playing for Al Rayyan of the Qatari Volleyball League. He mostly plays at the opposite hitter position but has also played at the outside hitter position on numerous occasions.
Tommi Tiilikainen is a Finnish volleyball coach and former volleyball player. Despite his young age, he is regarded by a number of players, coaches, and commentators as one of the greatest and most successful managers in Finnish volleyball. In 2016 Tiilikainen won his third Finnish volleyball league championships and led club Tiikerit to the third Finnish Cup gold.
Petra Nieminen is a Finnish ice hockey player and alternate captain of the Finnish national team, currently playing in the Swedish Women's Hockey League (SDHL) with Luleå HF/MSSK. She is considered one of the top young talents in Finnish ice hockey.
Andrus Raadik is an Estonian volleyball player, a member of the Estonia men's national volleyball team and Finnish club Savo Volley.