Halle, Germany, March 6, 2011. Generali UNTERHACHING – a real sensation in this year’s CEV Champions League where the rookies from Bavaria made it to the Playoffs 12 – claimed on Sunday, in front of 9,600 Volleyball fans, Germany’s national cup for the third consecutive year after a spectacular final game against archrival VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. Two hours and sixteen minutes of superb Volleyball actions were needed there at the “Gerry Weber Stadion” to determine the winners of the first major trophy to be assigned this year in Germany. After Generali had pocketed the first and second sets (25-21, 25-22), the Bavarians had to face a furious comeback of VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN that was able to stretch the game to the tie-break after claiming set 3 and 4 (16-25, 20-25).
There the guys around Stelian Moculescu – who were looking for their eleventh title – missed two chances to close the game in their favor, before Slovak Robert Hupka blocked Estonia’s Oliver Venno for the final 20-18 and fire up the Bavarian celebrations in Halle. Australian Paul Carroll was the best scorer of the game with 23 points for Generali, well supported by Robert Hupka and Max Günthör who totaled 12 apiece; on the other side of the net, Canadian Frederic Winters and Oliver Venno were the guys who set the pace for VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN with 20 and 17 respectively.
Young and rising star Denis Kaliberda – born in Ukraine but a regular member of Germany’s national team – said: “We have to admit that we had some luck at our side. Nevertheless, it is really important for us and our club that we were finally able to defeat VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN in a major event, hence this win counts even more than those we celebrated in 2009 and 2010”. “I have never experienced something like this” said Paul Carroll, referring to the unique atmosphere to be felt there in Halle, where starting from the mid of the tie-breaker the fans followed the last rallies standing in front of their seats and continuously cheering for the guys that were providing the audience with such a memorable game.
Generali UNTERHACHING and VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN will cross their ways once again very soon as they go for an immediate remake of this game in the next round of the national league.
CEV