The BR Volleys are still missing a win for the final of the German Volleyball Cup on March 6th in Mannheim. But in the semifinals on Wednesday (7:00 p.m.) the team faces a tricky task at VfB Friedrichshafen in Ulm.
“It’s of no use to us that we’ve won every game so far this season if we fail at the moment when it really matters,” says managing director Kaweh Niroomand. SVG Lüneburg has already qualified for the final.
The BR Volleys have won the last six Bundesliga games against Friedrichshafen and have not lost a set four times. But that doesn’t lead Niroomand to the conclusion that his opponent has lost the terror of earlier years when it comes to volleys. “Friedrichshafen is still a fortress in German volleyball and hopefully will remain so for a long time to come,” emphasized the 69-year-old.
After a five-week break, during which the corona virus also severely restricted training, the volleys are gradually picking up speed again. “We’ve taken a step forward,” said Niroomand after the win in the second half of the Bundesliga against Düren (3-1). The Volleys had defeated Friedrichshafen a week earlier with the same result.
In both games, however, the German champion lost a set with frightening clarity. “It definitely didn’t make us happy. It shows: We are vulnerable,” says Niroomand: “On the other hand, it is positive to see that our team quickly found their way back to their game after losing sets like this.”
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The last time the Berliners were in the cup final was in 2020, clearly winning 3-0 against Düren. “For some of us it was the biggest game they have ever played in Germany,” recalls Volleys captain Sergej Grankin.
As far as the number of cup wins is concerned, BR Volleys still have a lot of catching up to do compared to their opponents: VfB won the trophy 16 times, Volleys five times.