Germany - Volleyball Bundesliga (VBL) 2016/17

  • Half of the season has been played and this is the ranking:


    1. VfB Friedrichshafen (10-1) 28
    2. United Volleys (9-2) 28
    3. BR Volleys (9-1) 27
    4. Düren (8-2) 23
    5. Lüneburg (7-4) 20
    6. Bühl (4-7) 14
    7. Herrsching (4-6) 12
    8. TV Rottenburg (3-8 ) 9
    9. Netzhoppers (2-9) 7
    10. VCO Berlin (1-9) 3
    11. Solingen (1-9 ) 3


    Berlin`s loss to Friedrichshafen makes the top of the table refreshingly tight. In the second half of the season, they still have to play all top4 teams plus Lüneburg away from home. They have looked really well and dominant in 9/10 matches but at the moment their first place after main round surely isn't a safe bet.


    Some fine individual performances who caught my eye while looking through half season stats:


    Andreas Takvam (MB, FHafen, attack)
    Cody Kessel (OH, Lüneburg, attack)
    Athanasios Protopsaltis (OH, Fhafen, attack + reception)
    Tom Strohbach (OH, Herrsching, service)
    Tobias Krick (MB, United Volleys, Block)
    David Sossenheimer (OH, Fhafen, reception)
    Luke Perry (Libero, Berlin, reception + defence)


    There are surely still other players to mention. My view on stats was rather superficial. You can check yourself here: http://www.volleyball-bundesli…m_spielerranking_rs.xhtml

  • Very unnecessary set loss for Lüneburg, yesterday evening :teach: 8) :super:


    http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2016-17/Men/&1064.pdf


    Video and statements:
    http://www.lzplay.de/index.php…ch-der-sieg-gegen-berlin/


    By the way, there are rumours that Berlin might terminate contract with Nikola Kovacevic. Still unconfirmed though.....

  • According to volleyball.it, the contract has been broken already yesterday..
    http://www.volleyball.it/berli…ntratto-nikola-kovacevic/


    It is official now, the contract has been "resolved": http://www.tagesspiegel.de/spo…a-kovacevic/19265100.html

  • German Cup Final: :teach:


    Sunday, 29.01.17, 16.45 CET, VfB Friedrichshafen vs. Berlin Recycling Volleys
    Stream: http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…erlin-recycling-volleys_2
    Free TV: Sport1


    Hard to predict a favourite team. Berlin lost both matches this season against VfB without winning a single set. So you can say that the overall "momentum" is on Friedrichshafen's side, especially as Berlin started a bit slow into the new year. But personally, i still think, that if both teams will play their best Volleyball, Berlin should take the win.


    While Berlin should be the better team in terms of athleticsm and "high ball game", Friedrichshafen usually can rely on a good defensive organization and above average reception.


    Critical point for VfB will be the performance of their opposites (Finger/Malescha) who will have to make up for lacking firepower of their OHs. Berlin, on the other hand, needs to run a decent play with the middles, something they completely lacked in the last Bundesliga encounter.


    So everything is ready for a good match. Hope both teams won't disappoint :super:


    EDIT:
    added "sportdeutschland" stream

  • VfB Friedrichshafen vs. Berlin Recycling Volleys 3:1 (33:31, 25:21, 25:27, 30:28 )
    stats: http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2016-17/Men/&7114.pdf
    MVP: Michal Finger


    So the cup goes to Friedrichshafen :thumbup:
    As the score indicates it was a pretty intense final and again Friedrichshafen prevailed over Berlin, already the third time this season. But unlike on the last encounter in Bundesliga, this win was pretty much deserved for Friedrichshafen. Of course Berlin had their chances as well but somehow you always had the feeling that Friedrichshafen got more controll over the match.


    Both teams are quite even in the stats, biggest difference is in the blocking and service faults. Berlin's main problem tonight was the shaky performance of their big hitters. Robert Kromm struggled in the first two sets and Paul Carroll had some terrible misses in the decisive phase of the fourth set and overall didn't play very well. It remains questionable, why ter Maat did not get more court time tonight?!


    Friedrichshafen, as expected, played a great block/defence. They really made life difficult for Berlin's main hitters and had some spectacular saves tonight. It is always pleasant to watch, when all team members have great ball controll and know what to do in defence.
    While Michal Finger had a very decent match, my MVP choice would have been Armin Mustedanovic, who helped Finger a lot in the offense and was an important link to Friedrichshafen:s win tonight. Also Andreas Takvam had great moments again, especially in the end of fourth set, where he was absolutely unstoppable.


    By the way, the free TV broadcast ended in the beginning of fourth set, as Sport1 switched over to the replays of the days second division footbal matches..... :wavy:

  • Interesting match ahead on Sunday, when Berlin has to play against United Volleys in Rüsselsheim (16 CET, http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…ain-vs-berlin-recycling_2 ). A loss for Berlin would endanger even the second place in the league and Berlin's manager Niromaand already pointed out that he would not accept another defeat.
    Jan Klobucar might miss the match for United Volleys, as he suffered a face fracture during a brawl in a club in Mainz......


    Other news i haven't reported yet:

    • VBL allowed Herrsching and Lüneburg to play in their gyms for another year (except cup-semis and playoff matches)
    • First applicant for the newly introduced "wildcard" for Bundesliga will be TSV Husum aka "Wattvolleys". :lol: I first thought of it as a little joke but it seems guys from the northsea coast take this seriously. Still don't think they will get the license though....

    Bundesliga standing:
    1. VfB Friedrichshafen (13-1) 37
    2. United Volleys (12-2) 36
    3. BR Volleys (11-2) 33
    4. Düren (11-3) 31
    5. Lüneburg (9-6) 27
    6. Herrsching (6-8 ) 19
    7. Bühl (5-9) 17
    8. Netzhoppers (4-11) 13
    9. TV Rottenburg (4-10 ) 12
    10. VCO Berlin (1-12) 3
    11. Solingen (1-13 ) 3


    P.S.
    For german speakers, i can recommend the podcast "Block und Spike" . Its a weekly podcast which is covering a lot of topics around Bundesliga and german volleyball in general. :thumbup:

  • Some good matches with relevance to the standing will take place this weekend:


    Saturday
    19 CET, TSV Herrsching vs. Lüneburg
    http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…hing-vs-svg-lueneburg-2_3


    19.30 CET, Düren vs. Berlin
    http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…lin-recycling-volleys-3_2


    Sunday
    14.30 CET, Friedrichshafen vs. United Volleys (full production)
    http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…ited-volleys-rhein-main_2

  • 2 good game today, I am thinking Herrsching at home has a good shot at upsetting Luneburg. As for Duren & Berlin, Berlin played a tough grueling match vs Resovia midweek, have to travel to Duren- may be a closer match than many expect.

    Business as usual in Bundesliga. Whenever it is time to put the runners-up in their place, both top teams deliver.


    The match in Düren was tight for two sets but in the end Berlin prevailed convincingly. Friedrichshafen's victory over United Volleys was even more dominant, so it is pretty clear now that both teams will play for first place in the last match of main round in Friedrichshafen.


    Berlin will miss Steven Marshall for a couple of weeks due to injury, which leaves them with young prospect Egor Bogachev as only replacement for Kromm and Ruben Schott. A bit risky, but so far, Ruben Schott delivered decently. United Volleys will hope for a quick and full recovery of Jan Klobucar, as Adrian Aciobanitei showed in last matches that he is not ready yet for the required level in the top matches.


    Standing
    1. VfB Friedrichshafen (17-1) 48
    2. BR Volleys (15-2) 45
    3. United Volleys (13-4) 39
    4. Düren (13-5) 37
    5. Lüneburg (11-7) 33
    6. Bühl (7-11) 23
    7. Herrsching (6-11 ) 20
    8. Netzhoppers (6-12) 19
    9. TV Rottenburg (6-12 ) 17
    10. VCO Berlin (2-17) 7
    11. Solingen (2-16 ) 6


  • Last match of main round will determine the leader in ranking.


    Today, 14.30 CET, Berlin plays in Friedrichshafen. The winner will conquer the pool position for playoffs.


    Livestream (full production): http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…lin-recycling-volleys-4_5


    Berlin's manager doesn't seem to be very optimistic. After the massacre against Lube, he was cited in a newspaper with saying " it's a sh*t season, somehow we have to bring it behind us...." :lol:

  • The Playoff will start the coming weekend. The pairings in the quarterfinal (best of 3) are:


    Friedrichshafen vs. Netzhoppers
    Berlin vs. Bühl
    Düren vs. Lüneburg
    United Volleys vs. Herrsching


    Herrsching and Lüneburg are not allowed to play their in their home gyms. While Lüneburg only moves 50 km up north/west to Hamburg, Herrsching "decided" to play their match in Innsbruck/Austria, as they couldn't find a hall in the Munich region.


    Detailed Schedule: http://www.volleyball-bundesli…lplan/1blm_playoffs.xhtml


    Generally, if there is a demand for more/special infos, just ask and i will surely respond. Apart from that, you can find all relevant links in the opening post of this thread.


    Some discussion on the changed playoff mode for next season (Playoff semis only) can be found in the woman's thread of this forum.

  • Just back home from Lüneburg vs. Düren match in Hamburg.
    Great performance and a 3:0 victory for Lüneburg and a tied series now. They drew the right conclusions from the defeat in Düren and were mostly dominating this match. Deserved MVP, Eric Fitterer. A special mention deserves Michael Brinkley who was shaky last weekend but held the line tonight in great style :teach:


    And, by the way, the "supposed-to-be" disadvantage from moving to Hamburg for this match, in fact turned out to be very good thing. Sold-out hall, great athmosphere and a lot of happy faces afterwards. I wouldn't mind a further match.... 8)


    stats: http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2016-17/Men/&1516.pdf



    United Volleys are the first team in the semis, beating Herrsching 3:0 in Innsbruck.
    stats: http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2016-17/Men/&1513.pdf

  • Berlin (3:0 vs. Bühl) and Friedrichshafen (3:2 vs. Netzhoppers) made it to the semifinals. While Berlin will play against United Volleys, Friedrichshafen is still waiting for the outcome of match no. 3 between Düren and Lüneburg.


    This match will also be a little northamerican derby between Düren's Canadians (Verhoeff, Blankenau, Bann) and Lüneburg's US Boys (Kevorken, Kessel, Brinkley, Fitterer). Match will start on Wednesday, 19 CET.


    Stream (full poduction): http://sportdeutschland.tv/vbl…eren-vs-svg-lueneburg-2_2

  • I also went to the Lüneburg - Düren match in Hamburg. I'd like Lüneburg to win the series and come back to Hamburg for a semifinal match.


    But I have a slight feeling that Düren was underperforming last week.

  • I also went to the Lüneburg - Düren match in Hamburg. I'd like Lüneburg to win the series and come back to Hamburg for a semifinal match.

    :drink:
    Heard rumour that they might switch to Alsterdorfer Sporthalle, if they make it to the semis.....


    But I have a slight feeling that Düren was underperforming last week.

    We will see. Lüneburg played strong in Düren as well, but only just until Düren brought Verhoeff on court. They completely lost it afterwards and got unnecessarilary nervous. Judging only by last two matches, i am quite positive concerning a Lüneburg victory. But all starters need to perform well, there is just not coming much quality from the bench......

  • Semis (best of 3) will look like:


    Berlin vs. United Volleys Rheinmain
    Friedrichshafen vs. Düren


    First round will start next weekend.
    Schedule: http://www.volleyball-bundesli…lplan/1blm_playoffs.xhtml



    But the news of the day is that TSV Unterhaching applied for a wild card for the next Bundesliga season. If they fulfill the requirements set by VBL, we will see them back on big stage sooner than expected. The club withdrew from professional volleyball a couple of years ago, due to financial problems. Their current team is on the way to qualify for second division but it seems they might just skip the second division....


    http://www.volleyballer.de/news/31200.html

  • But the news of the day is that TSV Unterhaching applied for a wild card for the next Bundesliga season. If they fulfill the requirements set by VBL, we will see them back on big stage sooner than expected. The club withdrew from professional volleyball a couple of years ago, due to financial problems. Their current team is on the way to qualify for second division but it seems they might just skip the second division....


    http://www.volleyballer.de/news/31200.html

    This is a bit surprising, to be honest. There should not be a way in any serious league or federation out there to skip tiers. It doesn't matter if the Second or Third Bundesliga are non-professional and the respective applicant declares professional ambitions. We know of exceptions, of course, but I hope this is all they will remain - just exceptions. If the club's ambitions are serious, promotion should be a matter of time only. You know I would be glad to watch again some serious volleyball as close to Munich as possible (Herrsching kind of counts, of course) but it shouldn't be at the expense of Second Bundesliga teams. Now, if no one wants a promotion because no one can fulfill the requirements, this would be a different story.


    By the way, speaking purely about Unterhaching, I watched them live in January. They hosted Gotha, their main promotion contender, in a match from the 3. Liga East. There were many reasons for me to go, including the fact that they used to play as Unterhaching II (back then the senior men's team still existed) without extreme ambitions and have earned a promotion every year since (I practiced with that team for a while before moving to the Regionalliga some levels above), that I know their most experienced player, Dejan Stankovic, and their head coach who I had worked with, that I had heard about their rising ambitions, and, last but not least, because they recruited two Bulgarian professional players to help them gain promotion. That being said, they are the best team in that 3. Liga and will win it, but I can't say for sure they won't have problems in the Second Bundesliga. They need some new signings if they want to do well there or even more serious ones if they earn the right to play professionally in the end. Money doesn't seem to be an issue right now but calculations change once the team gets a professional license.