The two Central German volleyball Bundesliga teams are going into the first playoff quarter-finals on Saturday with different feelings. While VfB Suhl Lotto Thüringen, after a furious series of six wins in a row, is a strong sixth with a lot of tailwind for the game at runner-up SC Potsdam, Dresdner SC is hoping for a turnaround at VC Wiesbaden after the last four defeats.
The defeats against Schwerin, Vilsbiburg, Münster and Stuttgart have made the DSC slide from fourth place to fifth place. This means that the right to play at home in the possibly decisive third game of the playoff quarterfinals in the “Best of three” series is gone.
It is now also clear that setter Sarah Straube will not get fit in time. The 20-year-old’s injury – tearing of the rear cruciate ligament – had been treated conservatively, but she was not yet able to train again. Not the best conditions for the duel with Wiesbaden. Coach Alexander Waibl knows that too, but remains optimistic. “We know it’s going to be a difficult series, but we also know that if we continue on our upward trend we have a chance to go through.”
The injured Sarah Straube and head coach Alexander Waibl
DSC has secured a place in the European Cup
Despite the 3-1 defeat, the coach is positive about the performance against leaders Stuttgart on the last day of the main round. The first set won was the best “we’ve played this season”. And a look at the history could also help, because in the previous season there was exactly the same duel in the quarterfinals. At that time, the DSC prevailed in two games. Incidentally, the Saxons have already secured a starting place in the European Cup. Fifth place gives you the right to start in the CEV Challenge Cup. There, VfB Suhl made it to the semi-finals this season.
VfB Suhl euphoric after winning streak
That VfB Suhl has become the team of the hour in recent weeks. The team of head coach Laszlo Hollosy was still in eleventh place in December and has now made it into the playoffs and even sixth place thanks to six wins in a row. “It’s a miracle,” Hollosy cheered.
In outstanding form: Diagonal attacker Danielle Harbin.
The two guarantors for these victories, most recently at the Roten Raben Vilsbiburg, are an extremely strong-willed team, the diagonal attacker Danielle Harbin and setter Jenna Ewert. It shouldn’t be forgotten that setter and captain Vedrana Jaksetic has been missing for months due to a cruciate ligament rupture. And even if VfB is an outsider against SC Potsdam in the quarter-finals. The momentum speaks for the southern Thuringians. On March 5th, Suhl proved that you can also hold your own against the runners-up, celebrating a clear 3-0 in Potsdam.
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