Yesterday evening the time had come again: the Lower Saxony derby in the 1st Volleyball Bundesliga took place in the Volksbank Arena Hildesheim. The duel between Helios GRIZZLYS Giesen and SVG Lüneburg ended after 105 minutes with 1:3 (15:25, 25:22, 22:25, 18:25).
GRIZZLYS head coach Itamar Stein sent Noah Baxpöhler, Jakob Günthör, Nicholas Slight, Mark Rura, Jori Mantha, Ethan Champlin and libero Niklas Breilin onto the field in the first set of the game. In front of 2,522 spectators, around 150 of whom were guest fans, the Lüneburgers started the duel very strongly. It quickly became 3:10 against the hosts. SVG created a lot of pressure, especially when serving, and was able to take the clear lead through the set in front of loud stands. At the start of the game almost everything was working for the guests while little was going well for the GRIZZLYS. The false start did not dampen the mood in the Volksbank Arena. Lüneburg remained dominant in terms of sport and used the first set ball to make it 15:25.
After winning the set, the hosts’ starting lineup remained unchanged. The GRIZZLYS came into the game much better. In the middle of the set, the Lüneburgers were able to pull away with three points. The Gieseners fought their way to 13:13 and now showed a lot of improvement in their serve. The mood now matched the hard-fought game. When the score was 21:19, Ethan Champlin served and created an ace to give the GRIZZLYS a 3-point lead, who were able to use their second set point to equalize the set.
The third round started as a copy of the first. The Lüneburgers got off to a lightning start again. Simon Torwie blocked for the guests to make it 4:10. Despite the large and early deficit, the Hildesheim crowd euphorically celebrated every rally. The game continued to be difficult for the GRIZZLYS. Every point had to be worked hard. Jan Röling and JT Hatch came into the game midway through the set. The hosts were able to fight their way to three points (15:18), but then the Lüneburg team scored again and won five set points, which they used in the fourth. The burden from the beginning of the round was too high and the guests finally won their second set with a strong attack through the middle.
The Lüneburgers also went into the fourth set with a lot of pressure and sporting aggressiveness. It quickly became 7:10 and SVG was able to maintain and even expand this lead until the end of the set. The GRIZZLYS continued to fight for every point, but there was nothing to be gained today against (too) strong guests from Lüneburg. In keeping with their performance, SVG rewarded itself for a very strong away performance with victory in four sets. Lüneburg outside attacker Theo Mohwinkel was voted MVP of the game.
Next Wednesday the GRIZZLYS will play away in the Champions League against Olympiacos Piraeus (Athens), before their next home game is scheduled for November 23rd, then in the DVV Cup quarter-finals against FT Freiburg.
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Photo: Elisabeth Kloth
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Host: Coach Schulte, following your team’s strategy, how do you plan to address the strengths and weaknesses demonstrated in this match as you move forward in the season?
Interview Transcript:
Host: Welcome to our show today. We are here with two special guests, Coach Sven Schulte from the SVG Lüneburg team and Markus Schäfer, the captain of the Helios GRIZZLYS Giesen team. Today we’ll be discussing the thrilling match they had yesterday evening in the 1st Volleyball Bundesliga. Coach Schulte, let’s start with you. Congratulations on your team’s victory. It must have been an intense match yesterday. Can you share your thoughts on the game?
Coach Schulte: Thank you very much. Yes, it was an exciting and challenging match. The GRIZZLYS played very well, and we had to fight hard for every point. I’m proud of my team for their performance and the passion they showed on the court. We came to Hildesheim with a clear strategy and executed it well. Our serving and defense were particularly effective, which allowed us to maintain an early lead in the game. I believe this win was a result of our hard work and teamwork.
Host: Markus, how about you? As the captain of the GRIZZLYS, what are your thoughts on the game? How did you guys prepare for this match against SVG Lüneburg?
Markus Schäfer: It was definitely a tough match for us. We knew that when we face a strong team like SVG, we have to bring our A-game. However, we struggled in the first two sets and couldn’t find our rhythm. But it’s important to note that we didn’t give up, and in the third and fourth sets, we showed a lot of character and fought back. Unfortunately, the lead from the beginning was too much for us to overcome. But I’m proud of my team for never giving up and keeping the crowd engaged throughout the match.
Host: Absolutely. Looking at the stats, Markus, it seems like your team struggled with their serve and reception. Coach, was that a key point in your strategy against the GRIZZLYS?
Markus Schäfer: Yes, I think our serve and reception were weak points for us last night. We struggled to handle the pressure from SVG, particularly in the first two sets. They were very aggress
