Tuomas Sammelvuo

Tuomas Petteri Sammelvuo (born 16 February 1976) is a Finnish volleyball coach and former volleyball player. At the professional club level, he is a two–time French Champion (1999, 2004).

Tuomas Sammelvuo
Sammelvuo in 2012
Personal information
Full nameTuomas Petteri Sammelvuo
Nationality Finnish
Born (1976-02-16) 16 February 1976
Pudasjärvi, Finland
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Coaching information
Previous teams coached
YearsTeams
2013–2019
2016–2019
2019–2022
2019–2022		Finland
Kuzbass Kemerovo
Russia
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Volleyball information
PositionOutside hitter
Career
YearsTeams
1993–1994
1994–1997
1997–1998
1998–2000
2000–2002
2002–2003
2003–2005
2005–2006
2006–2008
2008–2009
2009–2010
2010–2011
2011–2012
2012		 Raision Loimu
KuPS Kuopio
Strasbourg VB
Stade Poitevin Poitiers
Piemonte Volley
Copra Ventaglio Piacenza
Tours VB
Toyoda Gosei Trefuerza
Dynamo Kaliningrad
Tonno Callipo Vibo Valentia
ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
Sir Safety Perugia
Lokomotiv Novosibirsk
National team
1993–2010 Finland (296)
Honours
Men's volleyball
Representing  Finland
European League
2005 Russia
Head Coach  Russia
Olympic Games
2020 Tokyo
FIVB Nations League
2019 Chicago

Sammelvuo is still the only Finnish male volleyball player to win the Champions League (2005). Having played 296 games in the national team, he has the second largest number of games in the Finnish volleyball history.

Personal life

Sammelvuo has two brothers and a sister. He speaks six languages: Finnish, French, English, Italian, Polish and Russian, is married to Petra and has two children.[1]

Career

Early career

Sammelvuo started his volleyball career in Pudasjärvi, northern Finland. When he turned 16, he moved to Tampere. Sammelvuo played in Finnish youth national team, which reached fourth place at the 1995 Junior World Championship.

Finland league

Sammelvuo started his professional career at the age of sixteen, in Raision Loimu. In the 1993–94 season, he played in Loimu and won the Finnish championship bronze medal. After that, he moved to KuPS, and won two Finnish Champion titles and one silver medal. In his last season in Finland, he was chosen the best championship player.

Professional career

From KuPS, Sammelvuo moved to the French team, Strasbourg. Sammelvuo spent there one year, and then moved to Poitiers. In 2000, he signed a contract in Italy, and started playing in Cuneo. Sammelvuo played for them for two seasons before moving to Piacenza. In Piacenza, he won the Italian Cup. In 2003, he returned to France and joined Tours VB.

First season in Tours was a success to Sammelvuo. He win France championleague gold and also bronze in the European Champions league. Second season in Tours was also a success to Sammelvuo when he won the European Champions league. He was the first player ever from Finland who won the Champions league. Same season Sammelvuo won also France league bronze medal.

After two Tours years Sammelvuo moved to Japan and started playing Toyota Gosei team. He was the first Finnish player in Japan ever. In Japan season he was chosen to the All-Stars team in the league.

After Japan year Sammelvuo wanted to come back to Finland. He signed a three-year contract with Pielaveden Sampo. But soon from Russian Superleague came a call and Sammelvuo started to play in Dynamo Kaliningrad. In Dynamo Kaliningrad Sammelvuo played his best season ever. Players chose him the third best player in league season 2006–2007. Season 2008 Sammelvuo continued in Russian Superleague and media chose him to All-Stars game against Russian men's national team.

Season 2008–2009 Sammelvuo played in Italy A1-league in Vibo Valentia. Season 2009–2010 Sammelvuo played in Poland PlusLiga in ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle. Season 2010–2011 Sammelvuo played in Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, to where he came back for the season 2012–13 after he played one season in Italy. His career ended in season 2012–13. Sammelvuo was elected to Finnish men's volleyball team head coach in January 2013. As a sum he decided to retire and started centralize his thoughts to national team almost half year before volleyball summer.

National team

He was appointed captain of the Finland men's national volleyball team in 1997. At the 2007 European Championship held in Russia, Finland came in fourth place and made Finland ball games history. Overall, Sammelvuo played 296 games in the national team.

Sporting achievements

As a player
  • National championships
    • 1994/1995 Finnish Cup, with KuPS Kuopio
    • 1994/1995 Finnish Championship, with KuPS Kuopio
    • 1995/1996 Finnish Cup, with KuPS Kuopio
    • 1995/1996 Finnish Championship, with KuPS Kuopio
    • 1998/1999 French Championship, with Stade Poitevin Poitiers
    • 2001/2002 Italian Cup, with Noicom Brebanca Cuneo
    • 2003/2004 French Championship, with Tours VB
    • 2004/2005 French Cup, with Tours VB
    • 2010/2011 Russian Cup, with Lokomotiv Novosibirsk

As a coach

Individual awards

References
  1. "Sammelvuo on Olympic silver, coaching and kalakukko". volleyballworld.com. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
  2. "Secrets of Coaching Success: Tuomas Sammelvuo". CEV. 5 March 2022. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
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