Ruben Schott with a smash in the game against VfB Friedrichshafen Photo: City Press
From BZ/dpa
The Berlin Volleys set a warning sign on the 2nd match day of the volleyball league!
The reigning German champions won 3-1 (24:26, 30:28, 25:16, 25:22) against arch-rival VfB Friedrichshafen on Sunday. Both teams offered the 5238 spectators in the Max-Schmeling-Halle a real top game with partly spectacular actions in attack and defence. The outstanding player for the Berliners was the Czech Marek Sotola on the diagonal position.
Satoshi Tsuiki accepting in the game against Friedrichshafen Photo: City Press
Both teams initially met at eye level. Leading 14-11, the BR Volleys seemed on track to win the first set. However, the Friedrichshafeners did not let themselves be shaken off, also because the main referee Robert Ließ ruled in their favor in three contentious scenes. In the end, the hosts fended off two set balls from VfB, but Argentinian Luciano Vicentin used the third with an ace to make it 26:24.
Marek Sotola, Anton Brehme and Timothee Carle block against Friedrichshafen’s Luciano Vicentin Photo: City Press
The second round was dramatic. The volleys were 18:14 ahead, but broke again temporarily. In the end, they fended off five set balls from VfB, only to convert the second in turn. Buoyed by this, the BR Volleys seemed on course for victory afterwards.
In particular, Ruben Schott’s serves presented the Bodensee team with enormous acceptance problems. In the fourth period, a red card against VfB Libero Nikola Pekovic gave the Volleys the 15th point to make it 15:11. Anton Behme finally ended the game with the second match point.