Germany - VBL 1. Bundesliga 2017/2018

  • And what an emotional 1st set already :super:
    Dresden came back from 12:19 and defended 4 set points but eventually Schwerin wins 27:25.


    Alex Waibl again showed his dirty face :down: Geerties cut her hand on the LED boards in a defense attempt and was bleeding, so she went to the bench to get some tape on and keep playing, then Waibl complained to the referee, saying she must be taken out and not treated between rallies, and eventually some rallies later when she was still bleeding the referee indeed forced her to go out. The fact itself isn't the problem, bleeding players really should go out, but Waibl's protests :wall: :down:

  • And now pure domination by Schwerin, 25:11 :white:
    In terms of refereeing Dresden definitely does not have a home advantage today...


    I'm very surprised by Beta Dumancic's performance, I always thought of her as the weakest link in Schwerin's starting six, especially compared to Dresden's and Stuttgart's MBs, but today she plays an excellent match in all elements :!:

  • It may be a little premature, but now I'm much more convinced as already before the match, that Schwerin, for me the clearly better team as Dresden, will make the finals - probably on Saturday the finalists will already be there...

  • Maybe Dresden was a little tired, but this is no really valid excuse: this match was nearly one week after their last home match against Potsdam. And Schwerin had to play one match more before due to CEV cup finals. The truth is, that Schwerin is the better team. The big finals Stuttgart vs. Schwerin are now rather close...

  • NawaRo Straubing has officially applied for a license for 1st league, so if all teams are admitted, next season there will be 12 teams again (including VCO Berlin).


    Yes, but the official news release of the league is too positive in wording: it is only the not really applying VCO Berlin, which will bring the desired league size to 12 - the VCO is not counted in this number, so even with 12 professional teams it could be in. I think, it is not correct to treat them the same, because this is a treaty of DVV and VBL and no regular license. As always the VCO Berlin team will be neither eligible to participate in DVV cup nor in playoffs (if they could get to place 8 at least, what is unlikely of course).


    We have still a big issue of getting enough teams into first league.


    And Straubing, which played once already in first league, hast just two years time to build or get a new hall, because their turmair hall is not rule conformant. As everybody can see, for newbies these conditions are much harder than for long time members like Aachen.

  • Dresden - Schwerin 0:3 (25, 11, 16)
    http://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2017-18/Women/2515.pdf
    MVP: Ivana Mrdak / Greta Szakmary


    2nd match on Saturday. Very convincing game by Schwerin apart from the 2nd half of 1st set with Szakmary's reception meltdown. In 2nd and 3rd set Lippmann was unstoppable, for me she should have been MVP...



    But Jelena Olouic saved once more Schwerin when replacing the reception-choking Szakmary. And besides, I think coaches are sometimes tired, to give MVP again and again to Lippmann :) .

  • I think coaches are sometimes tired, to give MVP again and again to Lippmann :) .

    Even then, Dumancic and Carocci IMO today would have deserved MVP more than Szakmary. I think Dresden/Waibl simply will never forgive Lippmann for transfering from Dresden to Schwerin, something no other player has ever done so far :!:

  • Even then, Dumancic and Carocci IMO today would have deserved MVP more than Szakmary. I think Dresden/Waibl simply will never forgive Lippmann for transfering from Dresden to Schwerin, something no other player has ever done so far :!:


    Then I will see the reaction, when the first player changes from Dresden to Stuttgart, an event that will happen in not too far future too, I'm sure - currently we would have no interest in most players of Dresden, to be honest - with very few exceptions (Apitz could be one, but is too expensive for Stuttgart and also not willing to play for any other team in this league, what is well-known).


  • currently we would have no interest in most players of Dresden, to be honest - with very few exceptions (Apitz could be one, but is too expensive for Stuttgart and also not willing to play for any other team in this league, what is well-known).


    What about Korhonen or Bugg ?

  • Bugg and Korhonen have a contract for 2018/19 in Dresden.


    I'm not in the position to decide about player contracts :) . But I can at least state, that both setters are desired to be kept by Stuttgart (Stoltenborg especially, Kästner already prolonged the contract). With the opposite this is not the same: after two years with bad luck, when both as main opposite hired players were injured for months and couldn't fulfill the expectations (Whitney in 2016/2017 and now Perovic in current season), we will definitely try to improve on this position. Because of the longer valid contract Korhonen is no topic of course. The last really impressive opposite from outside was Yellow Tiger Kaja Grobelna, who had only a one year contract and left immediately for the better paying Polish club Grot Budowlani Lodz (but she wanted to play in Poland also for personal reasons, because for example she has even Polish citizenship). Generally speaking, it is the hardest job to find and hire a pretty good, but not too expensive opposite in Stuttgart, because at that position we feel the financial advantage of Dresden and Schwerin the most.

  • Stuttgarter Zeitung reports that McCage and van Daelen have now extended their contracts with Stuttgart for the next season. Mlejnkova will definitely leave. The club still negotiates with Tapp and Daalderop.

  • Stuttgarter Zeitung reports that McCage and van Daelen have now extended their contracts with Stuttgart for the next season. Mlejnkova will definitely leave. The club still negotiates with Tapp and Daalderop.


    I expected van Daelen to stay, she is long-time member of the team and plays indeed her best season so far.


    It is really a surprise, that McCage is not leaving, because she could earn much more especially in Italy and I don't think, that she would be only substitute, if she chose the club wisely. Anyway, we can keep two very important players and despite I can understand Mlejnková to leave the club, she plays not the ideal season to recommend herself for stronger clubs - her performance was varying largely; I think she needs primarily a time to rest, what is difficult for an NT important OH like her of course.

  • Today both championship favourites Stuttgart (in Maaseik against "hosts" Aachen) and Schwerin (at home against Dresden) have the chance, to book the ticket to the likely very close final series. In Aachen match starts at 18:00 CEST, in Schwerin (TV Sport1 match) at 18:30 CEST.

  • Today both championship favourites Stuttgart (in Maaseik against "hosts" Aachen) and Schwerin (at home against Dresden) have the chance, to book the ticket to the likely very close final series. In Aachen match starts at 18:00 CEST, in Schwerin (TV Sport1 match) at 18:30 CEST.

    Both matches as usual also live on http://www.vbl.tv


    Aachen was pretty pissed that during the TV transmission of Dresden-Schwerin the commentator only talked about the big three teams as title contenders and didn't consider Aachen to have any chance at all. Of course that's probably right, but I also get their point, it's not like Stuttgart totally killed them and also both regular season matches were rather close, so I hope Aachen can manage a surprise today or at least make it as hard as possible for Stuttgart :super: After all they already made it difficult for them in a match where their two best players performed quite subpar.

  • Both matches as usual also live on http://www.vbl.tv


    Aachen was pretty pissed that during the TV transmission of Dresden-Schwerin the commentator only talked about the big three teams as title contenders and didn't consider Aachen to have any chance at all. Of course that's probably right, but I also get their point, it's not like Stuttgart totally killed them and also both regular season matches were rather close, so I hope Aachen can manage a surprise today or at least make it as hard as possible for Stuttgart :super: After all they already made it difficult for them in a match where their two best players performed quite subpar.


    The table after end of the league round showed the reality by a fairly big gap after the top three teams, already several match days before end that seperation was cemented. Despite underdogs always have some chances in this league, if they perform outstanding and the favourite below their standard, the roles are clear today. Betting quotes see not only Schwerin at home as clear-cut favourites against Dresden, but also Stuttgart (1.12 to 1.20) against Aachen (3.9 to 5.25). Making trouble at times doesn't mean to win a match, by the way.