Class of 2024 inducted into Swedish Volleyball Hall of Fame

The Swedish Volleyball Hall of Fame was established in 2021 in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of the Swedish Volleyball Federation. This past weekend, an additional class of Swedish Volleyball stars were inducted into the Hall of fame during a banquet run next to the annual Swedish Grand Prix in Uppsala. The new inductees were a selection of iconic stars that had long careers as professional players abroad and at home as well. 

The Class of 2024 

Lasse Nilsson, Ystad
The outside hitter was a member of the generation that was responsible for the ‘Swedish Volleyball miracle’ under coach Anders Kristiansson, when Sweden went from an underdog to the world elite. Lasse Nilsson played at the Seoul Olympic Games in 1988, and throughout his career he contested two World Championships and five European Championships. He played for 13 years as a professional in Italy, Spain, and Germany, thereby collecting 385 caps for the Swedish national team. He is the father to Jakob Hölting Nilsson, who recently claimed the U22 European Beach Volleyball Championship title. 

Håkan Björne, Stockholm
The left-handed spiker was also a member of the legendary 1989 European Championship team that won silver in the Globe Arena in Stockholm. He was responsible for a blocking touch on the decisive ball when the hosts defeated the all-mighty Soviet Union in the semi-finals. The Soviet Union had won the previous nine European Championships in a row. Björne played at the 1988 Olympics, while representing Sweden at one World and three European Championships, thereby collecting 240 caps in the process. He played professionally in Belgium and Italy. 

Katrin Vink, Uppsala
A left-handed outside hitter with experience in Volleyball and Beach Volleyball, Vink won the Swedish national league for three years in a row with three different clubs and was a regular member of the national team. She achieved success in Beach Volleyball too, finishing as high as seventh at the European Championships, with two Swedish Championship golds and four Sweden Tour Final golds to her name as well. Throughout her career, she made 83 international appearances for Team Sweden.

Simon Dahl, Lund
One half of the Beach Volleyball duo “Berg and Dahl”, Dahl represented Sweden at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Throughout their career and partnership, they secured as many as 23 top 10 places on the FIVB World Tour. Dahl featured at three World Championships and five European Championships. A three-time national champion, Dahl’s resume includes seven gold medals from the Swedish Beach Tour Finals. He was named Player of the Year three times. After his career, he was Tournament Director for the World Tour stop in Åland and is now Secretary General of the Swedish Volleyball Federation.

Björn Berg, Umeå
The other half of the Beach Volleyball duo “Berg and Dahl” with 24 top 10-finishes on the World Tour, Berg played at the Sydney and Athens Olympics together with Dahl, contesting also four World Championships and six European Championships. His list of accolades includes four Swedish Championship golds, 14 gold medals from the Swedish Tour Finals and over 100 tournament wins on the Swedish Beach Tour. He was named Player of the Year as many as four times. 

Gertrud “Geten” Björkman, Stockholm
She was a leading figure in the first generation of Swedish national team players that gave Swedish women’s Volleyball international success. She won ten Swedish Championship titles with Värnamo and Sollentuna, played in the European Cup finals and came second in the Spring Cup in 1980. She played 85 international matches for Sweden.