Volley block with Marek Sotola, Anton Brehme and Ruben Schott (from left to right) Photo: City Press
From BZ/dpa
The Berlin Volleys successfully started the semi-finals of the German Volleyball Championship. In the first game of the “Best of Five” series, the defending champion defeated the power volleys Düren 3:1 (16:25, 25:17, 25:23, 25:22).
In front of 5178 spectators in the Max-Schmeling-Halle, the favorite from the capital was anything but sovereign for long stretches.
Especially at the beginning, the Berliners remained well below their potential. Neither Marek Sotola nor Timothee Carle were able to set offensive accents. The team’s attack rate in the first set was a modest 28 percent. Even the block hardly ever found access to the opposing actions on the net. Düren pulled away to 14:6 and later even extended the lead to eleven points (21:10).
Jump service study by Ruben Schott Photo: City Press
Substituting Cody Kessel for Carle towards the end of the first set not only enlivened the hosts’ game on an emotional level. In the serve, the BR volleys increased and in the third set, which they had won with difficulty, they were lucky with some tight decisions by the team of referees.
Cody Kessel highly concentrated while digging Photo: City Press
The 2:1 set lead was still hanging by a thread after being down 22:23, but two points from Sotola turned the tide in favor of the BR Volleys.
Sebastian Gevert smashing Photo: City Press
In the fourth period, the Bundesliga leaders gained a five-point lead early on (13:8). But winning the set was in danger when the opponent was able to equalize at 20:20. But Sotola eventually used the first match point to win.
The second encounter between the two teams will take place on Saturday in Düren.