(LR) Marek Sotola, Nehemiah Mote and Timothee Carle at the block Photo: City Press GmbH
From BZ/dpa
With their first home defeat of the entire season, the BR Volleys gave up a good starting position to remain in the Volleyball Champions League. On the fourth matchday of Group B, the German champions lost 3-0 to Halkbank Ankara on Tuesday (16:25, 33:35, 22:25).
With two wins and two losses each, the volleys occupy third place. The top two teams in each group of four and the best third-placed team remain in the European premier class.
The hosts didn’t get into the game at all against the Turkish runners-up, who had inflicted the only defeat on the Berliners so far in the first leg 3-1. After just 23 minutes, the hosts had to give up the first set with only 16 of their own points.
Marek Sotola at the smash Photo: City Press GmbH
The volleys started the second round in a completely different way. Coach Cedric Enard’s team quickly led 4-0 in front of 5365 spectators in the Max-Schmeling-Halle. In the meantime, Ankara came back, but the volleys were even able to pull away to 18:13 and were about to win the set at 24:21.
But the guests around their outstanding superstar Nimir Abdel-Aziz made the connection and won the second set after 46 minutes.
The second round delivered in the dramatic extension, in which the volleys missed six set balls, had an after-effect. In the third set, Halkbank Ankara gained a five-point lead at 11:6, the volleys were able to equalize again at 15:15, after which the top team from Turkey played out their entire routine.