Germany NT 2014

Quote from kondzio

German starters in the middle of the net are getting older certainly - Ssuchke-Voigt is almost 31 years old, while Fürst is 29. Stefanie Karg who can join will be 28 in October. Both Berit Kauffeldt and injured Anja Brandt are 24 in this year, so they can be starters for next few years when Ssuchke and Fürst will retire, if Karg isn't in NT (or she also retires). And idea with Schaus as MB in NT is probably given up being unsuccessful, moreover she's also not young (30 in November).

From youngers mentioned were Leonie Schwertmann (20), Alessandra Jovy-Heusser (23 in September) and Rebecca Schäperklaus (tried also as OPP, 22 in July), however last two can be not so helpful for NT. What about Celin Stöhr, also not recommended as Jovy-Heusser and Schäperklaus or maybe a bit more skilled? There is also Melanie Keil, but she studies in the USA and I don't see her as a good choice for NT at all

How about Silge's performance in DVL, Matthia? You see her as a great prospect

About Schaus: she has played all attacking positions and MB definitely was the best in her career, so I wouldn't say it was unsuccessful. The reason why she's out is that Guidetti wanted to work more with younger players for the 2013-16 period, so some of the not so good old ones (Schaus, Matthes, Burchardt) were cut.

Schäperklaus has been playing pretty well in her club recently but I don't see her making a career on international level. Stöhr is Anja Brandt 2.0, decent blocker but terrible attacker. Jovy-Heusser is like that as well.

Silge is usually not starter in Münster but gets enough playing time. Sometimes she plays as MB-style OPP but also with backrow attacks, but usually she plays as MB. Recently she's starter because Schwertmann has a back injury and she plays very well. In the match against Schwerin Felix Koslowski gave her the MVP award and in the first pre-playoff match she got 7 blocks. The last German MB who played so well with 17 was Fürst, Silge is much better than for example Kauffeldt was at the same age, so I have high hopes for her

I'm not sure how reliable and/or complete it is, but on DVV website there is a 24 player roster which is surely not the one from last summer. It's interesting to see Apitz and Karg there and I hope they'll really come. From the younger players listed there I see only chances for Lippmann (though her club team coach seems to think different at the moment) and Pogany, Aulenbrock and Stigrot barely get to play in their clubs.
Laura Weihenmaier confirmed that Guidetti invited her for the summer and she is not listed above, so I guess the roster that will be published in May will contain some other names than those above. I also expect Brandt and Hippe not to be there this summer.

As I said, I expect several other players to be invited other than those on the list. Grohmann should get a chance, but IMO Stöhr and Radzuweit are not NT material. And I don't expect any junior player in the team, only Silge could have a chance if Guidetti wants to work with her already.

Aulenbrock and Lippmann don't even play in their clubs so I don't see any chance for them in NT. However I hope at least Lippmann will be invited, she was there last year but she was injured and I think she has much bigger potential than Aulenbrock. We'll definitely not see Hippe, there is no reason to risk her health.

German NT roster 2014 has been announced today

S: Denise Hanke, Lena Möllers, Kathleen Weiß, Mareen Apitz
OPP: Margareta Kozuch, Lena Stigrot (also OH), Carina Aulenbrock, Louisa Lippmann
OH: Maren Brinker, Heike Beier, Jennifer Geerties, Lisa Izquierdo (also OPP), Jana-Franziska Poll, Laura Weihenmaier, Julia Schäfer (also OPP)
MB: Christiane Fürst, Berit Kauffeldt, Corina Ssuschke-Voigt, Stefanie Karg, Anja Brandt, Leonie Schwertmann, Wiebke Silge, Jennifer Pettke
L: Lisa Thomsen, Lenka Dürr, Anna Pogany

I have to say I like the choices Guidetti made Even two players from current Junior NT (Silge and Schäfer) were invited, and it's great to see that Mareen Apitz and Stefanie Karg come to NT this summer. I just hope they'll behave better than they do in Dresden on court (screaming at opponents etc.).

Players in italic are newcomers in NT, some info about them:
- Stigrot, Aulenbrock and Lippmann all played as OPP in 94/95 JNT. Right now none of them is on a level to help NT, but considering that Kozuch is our only OPP at the moment I think it's a very good decision to invite them to work with NT this summer!
- Laura Weihenmaier (1991) was OPP in the JNT that became World Champion in 2009, after that she converted to OH and this season she was one of the best OHs (mainly attack-wise) in German league.
- Julia Schäfer (1996) last summer played as OPP for Youth NT in ECH and was best scorer of the team, actually probably of the whole tournament because she had more than 20 points in every match she played full. Unfortunately she injured her shoulder in that tournament and had a surgery, but during this season she was promoted to Münster's 1st league team and got to play some matches.
- Leonie Schwertmann (1994) and Wiebke Silge (1996) also are from Münster. Silge is probably the biggest MB talent in Germany since Christiane Fürst and I like that Guidetti invited her already for this summer. Schwertmann made good progress in the last 1.5 years, in JNT she used to be 3rd MB behind Langgemach and Keil. Jennifer Pettke is a bit older (1989) but she wasted many years playing in 2nd league, this season in Hamburg she showed that she is a really good player.
- Anna Pogany (1994) became 1st libero of Vilsbiburg after Miyashiro's injury and played very well for them, after Lenka Dürr Vilsbiburg has produced yet another very talented young libero.

Guidetti says that he'll play Montreux and the first weekend of EL with the best players, afterwards he'll play with the younger ones. I hope they'll get their chances and use them well. I expect Lisa Izquierdo to join the team later because she suffered an ankle injury in playoff semifinal yesterday, probably she'll be back in 6 weeks or so. Also Anja Brandt still isn't fully recovered from her shoulder injury.
NT training starts on 20 May.

The only player I would have liked to see but was not invited is Patricia Grohmann (OH), a very good allround player and leading character. I think she could be at least as good as Poll, probably better.

Quote from serdar

Such a fair choice by Guidetti, recpect All the best players are included. About Opp position, who were the other Opp from 90-91 generation? And from 1992-93 generation, who were playing as Opp in junior NT?

Saskia Hippe was the best OPP of 90-91, but she was injured in 2009 summer when the team won WCH. In 92-93 there were Anika Boin and Pia Walkenhorst, both are playing in 2nd league now and Walkenhorst as setter because of many injuries. Guidetti was interested in both some years ago, but Boin didn't want to come to NT and Walkenhorst at that time had a shoulder injury.

Quote from serdar

I remember walkenhorst and her sister, both were promising

Ah right, Kira Walkenhorst was another OPP of the 90-91 generation She is a successful beach volley player now together with Laura Ludwig, they're one of the best German beach teams.

Quote from flyingdutchman

Didn't Ssuschke want to take a maternity-break? I'm surprised she is in the roster

She has been talking about this for ages but it seems she can't live without NT Some years ago she also wanted to take a summer off to have a knee surgery but eventually it wasn't necessary. With her, Fürst and Karg we'll have a really strong MB trio this year and I expect Fürst and Karg to start...

Lisa Izquierdo has torn ligaments in her ankle from Wednesday's match, so I guess she'll join NT later (probably mid June).

Good news from Saskia Hippe, today for the first time since her injury she could practise a bit with the ball. Of course still without jumping, that will take a lot more time, but at least her recovery is going well now

According to an article of Schwerin newspaper, Denise Hanke wants to rest this summer and won't play in NT. Denise Imoudu was invited instead of her.

I don't think Imoudu is a great talent...and her basic skills still need A LOT of work...I'd have prefered Mareike Hindriksen there, but under these circumstances I think it's guaranteed anyway that Weiß and Apitz will be the main setters this summer and Möllers and Imoudu will play in EL.