Tuomas Sammelvuo is a Finnish volleyball coach and a former professional player. In 2019 Sammelvuo signed a two-years contracts with the Volleyball Federation of Russia to serve as a head coach of the Russian national team until 2020. Sammelvuo is still the only Finnish male volleyball player to win the CEV Champions League. He has also twice won the France volleyball A1-league. Having played 296 games in the Finnish national team, he has the second-largest number of games in Finnish volleyball history.
Career
Early career
Sammelvuo started his volleyball career in Pudasjärvi, in northern Finland. There he played with his two brothers and one sister all day long. When he turned sixteen-year-old, Tuomas moved to Tampere, and started studying at Varala Sport High School. He studied there for one year. Sammelvuo played in Finnish youth national team, which reached fourth place in the 1995 Junior World Championships.
Finland league
Sammelvuo started his professional career at the age of sixteen, in Raision Loimu. In the 1993–1994 season, he played in Loimu and won a Finland league bronze medal. After that, he changed to KuPS-Volley, and won two Finland league championship medals and one silver medal. His last season in Finland, he was chosen as the best player in the Finland league.
Professional career
From KuPS-Volley Sammelvuo changed to the French team, Strasbourg, in 1997. Sammelvuo played in Strasbourg for one year, and after that, changed to Poitiers. In Poitiers, he won the France champions league, and silver in the 2000 season. Then Sammelvuo moved to Italy, and started playing in Cuneo. At first, Sammelvuo played in the Seria B-league in Torino, but soon Cuneo wanted him, and he was contracted to them. Sammelvuo played for them for two seasons before changing to Piacenza. In Piacenza he won Italian Cup gold medal. In 2003 he returned to France and started playing in Tours Volley. First season in Tours was success to Sammelvuo. He win France championleague gold and too in European Champions league bronze. Second season in Tours was too success to Sammelvuo when he win European Champions league. He was first player ever in Finland who win Champions league. Same season Sammelvuo win too France league bronze medal. After two Tours years Sammelvuo moved to Japan and started playing Toyota Gosei team. He was first Finnish player in Japan ever. In Japan season he chose to All-Stars team in the league. After Japan year Sammelvuo wanted come back to Finland. He signed a three-year contract with Pielaveden Sampo. But soon from Russian Superleague come call and Sammelvuo started play in Dynamo Kalingrad. In Dynamo Kalingrad Sammelvuo played his best season ever. Players chose him 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 play in Italy A1-league in Vibo Valentia. Season 2009–2010 Sammelvuo play in Poland PlusLiga in ZAKSA Kedzierzyn-Kozle. Season 2010–2011 Sammelvuo played in Lokomotiv Novosibirsk, where he came back in season 2012–13 after one played 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.
He became the captain of the Finland men's national volleyball team in 1997. He has played over 210 national team games. In European Championships 2007 Finland came to fourth place and made Finland ballgames history. Overall Finnish volleyball legend played 296 games in the national team. Only Kari Kalin has played more games in national team than Tuomas in Finnish volleyball history. Sammelvuo speaks English, Italian, Japanese and Russian.
