Germany - DVL 2011/12

  • Thank you, Matthias, for your hard work :drink:


    Dresden has already a complete roster and improved by transferring Utla. OH was their weak point last season.


    Any rumors about new Schweriner OH and MB?


    My prediction: Schwerin and Dresden will battle for the title again :teach: (though I can't say much about Vilsbiburg's strenght, because I don't know their new players...) Do you think Vislbiburg will be a serious candidate for the title?

  • I hope Schwerin will soon announce their roster...I just know they're still looking for an attacker, it will definitely be hard to find someone like Mira Topic again. Lousi Souza is a good player, but IMO not good enough to be successful in CL and defend Champion and Cup title, so I guess they plan with her as 3rd OH and look for someone better as starter besides Anne.


    If Vilsbiburg can manage to sign at least one very strong OH they can compete for the title. Their MBs are very strong, also Liana Mesa will be good if she can play like last season before she got injured, they have the best libero of the league and also a good setter, last season OHs were their weak spot and I hope they will transfer at least one good attacker, in that case they could even keep Schoot as OH mainly for reception like last season.

  • I hope Schwerin will soon announce their roster...I just know they're still looking for an attacker, it will definitely be hard to find someone like Mira Topic again. Lousi Souza is a good player, but IMO not good enough to be successful in CL and defend Champion and Cup title, so I guess they plan with her as 3rd OH and look for someone better as starter besides Anne.


    If Vilsbiburg can manage to at least one very strong OH they can compete for the title. Their MBs are very strong, also Liana Mesa will be good if she can play like last season before she got injured, they have the best libero of the league and also a good setter, last season OHs were their weak spot and I hope they will transfer at least one good attacker, in that case they could even keep Schoot as OH mainly for reception like last season.


    Do you think Schwerin lacks money to transfer a good OH (Topic-level) ?? Or is it just a matter of time?

  • Money can definitely be a factor, playing CL is expensive as we all know...but Schwerin already announced that they will have only 12 or 13 players next season, not 14 like last season (though I think in league matches they might use some young players from their 2nd league team sometimes), so I guess they will get another top level player again. Being able to play CL is a motivation for many players, so I think they can find someone good :thumbup:


    By the way I think also Münster and Hamburg can play good roles next season. Münster's team stays almost the same, they only lost backup Opp Kasperski and got OH Petrausch instead, she will probably compete with Ines Bathen for a place in first 6. Their advantage is that most players play together since 2010, and if Sloetjes keeps making progress like before, Münster will perform very well. Also Hamburg has made good transfers with Stoltenborg, Merkova, Ammerman and Vandesteene, now they just need another good MB. They will definitely be the tallest team of the league with Wedekind (1.96), Stoltenborg, Merkova, Ammerman (all around 1.90).

  • Money can definitely be a factor, playing CL is expensive as we all know...but Schwerin already announced that they will have only 12 or 13 players next season, not 14 like last season (though I think in league matches they might use some young players from their 2nd league team sometimes), so I guess they will get another top level player again. Being able to play CL is a motivation for many players, so I think they can find someone good :thumbup:


    By the way I think also Münster and Hamburg can play good roles next season. Münster's team stays almost the same, they only lost backup Opp Kasperski and got OH Petrausch instead, she will probably compete with Ines Bathen for a place in first 6. Their advantage is that most players play together since 2010, and if Sloetjes keeps making progress like before, Münster will perform very well. Also Hamburg has made good transfers with Stoltenborg, Merkova, Ammerman and Vandesteene, now they just need another good MB. They will definitely be the tallest team of the league with Wedekind (1.96), Stoltenborg, Merkova, Ammerman (all around 1.90).


    About Münster: ok, they transferred Petrausch, by mainly they will rely on Sloetjes and Cutura, like last year, and they have no deep roster, right? About Hamburg: well, volleyball is not about height only, as you know ;) Does Hamburg have good attackers except Merkova?

  • About Münster: yes I expect them to rely mainly on Cutura and Sloetjes, but every team who has such attackers would do that ;) And if Petrausch can manage to improve her shape, she can be helpful...but I don't think they don't have a deep roster. Surely it's not as deep as Dresden's, but they have 3 MBs on the same level, now also a good set of OHs (actually Sina Fuchs was one of the most talented players of 92/93 generation but suffered a serious knee injury in 2010 and just returned last season, so I think we might see more of her next season too), and Axel Büring already said that he will work hard with v.Piekartz during summer so she can get more playing time next season too.


    About Hamburg: yes, height is not everything, but it definitely helps at the net :lol: Imke Wedekind has made great improvement last season, she has become a very strong middle hitter, towards the end of the season she played some great matches and got several MVP awards. I hope she will find a good connection with Stoltenborg...I've never watched Ammerman, but she's supposed to be a good attacker as well.


    The only team that will probably become significantly weaker is Suhl. They lost their three most important players Merkova, Utla and Cebic and it seems right now they don't have the financial ressources to find appropriate replacements. Stuttgart is kind of a dark horse now, many of their players are in Bundesliga for the first time and it's really hard to predict how they will work out as team. My guess is that they will play for 5-8 rank probably, but they might be good for a surprise maybe...

  • Guidetti wrote in his twitter that Schwerin hired Alessandro Beltrami (NT assistant coach and last seasons coach of Chieri) as "technical director". I don't know what exactly this means because as far as I know, Teun Buijs will remain as head coach, but it will surely help to have another good coach with the team :)

  • Münster's setter Jelinkova returns to VK Prostejov because her family needs her at home now (whatever this means, sounds like something happened there). Münster is now looking for a replacement, von Piekartz shall remain backup setter for next season too (she has already signed).
    Linda Dörendahl and Mindi Wiley haven't signed yet, Dörendahl is likely to stay, Wiley is likely to leave.

  • Guidetti wrote in his twitter that Schwerin hired Alessandro Beltrami (NT assistant coach and last seasons coach of Chieri) as "technical director". I don't know what exactly this means because as far as I know, Teun Buijs will remain as head coach, but it will surely help to have another good coach with the team :)


    Agree. I'm 99.9% sure nothing will change concerning Teun Buijs' position as headcoach, because I can't imagine Anne to stay otherwise.

  • Laura Dijkema is the new starting setter of USC Münster. source: Dutch paper Tubantia, very reliable source