Germany - VBL 1. Bundesliga 2016/17

    I partially agree with your point. Schwerin and Stuttgart are very strong, I think they could also compete well in Champions League this season (unlike Dresden). Dresden is definitely weaker than the last years, but slowly they're getting their act together. Potsdam is good, but I think they should be able to play even better.


    The main difference this season for me is that the weak teams are shockingly weak at times and we did not have that last season. Erfurt is faaaaaaar from the level of the good teams, Aachen has an incredible range of performances from very good sets (only at home though) to complete blackouts. Suhl is better than expected but not really good, Köpenick and Münster also are a good deal weaker than last season.


    As for the reasons, money surely plays a big role. Teams have to invest very much into being "professional" so they can't afford top players. Quite ironic :whistle:

    Quote from Matthias

    I partially agree with your point. Schwerin and Stuttgart are very strong, I think they could also compete well in Champions League this season (unlike Dresden). Dresden is definitely weaker than the last years, but slowly they're getting their act together. Potsdam is good, but I think they should be able to play even better.


    The main difference this season for me is that the weak teams are shockingly weak at times and we did not have that last season. Erfurt is faaaaaaar from the level of the good teams, Aachen has an incredible range of performances from very good sets (only at home though) to complete blackouts. Suhl is better than expected but not really good, Köpenick and Münster also are a good deal weaker than last season.


    As for the reasons, money surely plays a big role. Teams have to invest very much into being "professional" so they can't afford top players. Quite ironic :whistle:


    There are soft reasons as well - for example Vilsbiburg is a rather small city and boring for many players, so with more good options they go elsewhere. Regarding money alone Stuttgart couldn't compete with Dresden and Schwerin at all, but they have an attractive location and a head coach, who convinces many to play for the team - the coach is very important, what is not that well known, I think.

    Quote from Matthias

    Schweriner SC is now officially competing as "SSC Palmberg" due to their main sponsor.


    A few remarks: player jerseys will be changed only next season due to this name change.


    This deal should be worth at least additional 100.000 € for Schweriner SC regarding budget, totalling to at least 1.4 Mio.€, nearing or equalling Dresdens current 1.5 Mio.€.


    So far I know it is the first time, that Schweriner SC (at DDR times Traktor Schwerin) has a sponsor name in it's first league team name.

    I'm surprised how long it took to find a club to play for her :white:


    A quick question for Bundesliga followers - How do you estimate Liz Mcmahon so far? She's for sure not a national team material especially for USA but I think she's a very reliable scorer particularly when she's given high and slow sets. Throwback to her newbie year, it was almost next to impossible to score in the back-row for her but after a while she got a lot better. I'd say she's a fast learner.

    Quote from MariaOzawaFan


    According to the DSC website she is the top-scorer so far with 164 points and also the best attacker with 139 points.
    http://www.dresdnersportclub.d…z-erfuellt-sich-ein-traum


    To be rather clear: this means often nothing. Because how many balls a player gets from the setter depends heavily on the alternatives in attack, and because of a big gap in efficiency between her and the outside hitters in Dresden she gets nearly as many balls as before in Southern Korea. Opposed to that this difference is smaller in Schwerin, where Louisa Lippmann receives a smaller percentage of the balls not to speak about Stuttgart, where Aiyana Whitney often has a very hard time to get enough balls to score because of the very high efficiency of outside hitters Renata Sandor and Michaela Mlejnková. Therefore I propose better to compare attack efficiency.

    VfB Suhl has acquired a lottery company as new main sponsor and does now compete as "VfB Suhl Lotto Thüringen". It means that they're financially safe for this season but their manager says they still won't make any further transfers now. They still have only 2 MBs though...

    Quote from Dillio

    At least some positive news regarding sponsorship aqisition, as many teams strugle with the money


    It is often like rollercoaster: some sponsors leave, some new are acquired, and the teams are lucky, if they don't lose money in sum at the end, and they are very happy, if they can increase it effectively... volleyball is still a difficult enterprise regarding sponsoring in Germany.

    Quote from StefanS

    It is often like rollercoaster: some sponsors leave, some new are acquired, and the teams are lucky, if they don't lose money in sum at the end, and they are very happy, if they can increase it effectively... volleyball is still a difficult enterprise regarding sponsoring in Germany.


    I know.. and the sad thing about it is, that we don't talk about millions of €, with around 500k you can get trough a season somehow what is "nothing" compared with what's around in other sports... but i guess everyone watching volleyball knows that already ;)

    Today a local newspaper published online an article, that Potsdam could get into financial trouble because of the MBS (MittelBrandenburgische Sparkasse) hall: they use it virtually without payment, only letting 10% on entrance fees for their home city. But this is a modern and likely even European cup suitable hall, not that cheap for the owner. Therefore a discussion in the city council is going on, to demand more money from the 2 to 3 professional users, including ladies volleyball club SC Potsdam. You have to be aware, that they have a rather low budget and can only play their current level, because costs are rather low. If they would be forced to pay usual fees for usage of MBS hall like SCHARRena in Stuttgart (costs with all side effects about 6.000 € for one matchday), they might be forced to close down the team respective retreat from first league.


    http://www.pnn.de/potsdam/1140745/

    Quote from Marcus

    Any previews for the game? (Besides the ones on both club sites)
    And what are the predictions of the German forum-members?


    Because this match is tomorrow shadowing even the traditional (and important) duel Vilsbiburg vs. Dresden, I give you a fairly neutral report, though I'm definitely not neutral and hope for Stuttgart to win:


    after carefully reading the news of both teams, it is not only clear, that both want to win and think they can, but also, that they are not sure about what will happen tomorrow - both have considerably changed rosters compared to last season and it is the first duel this season of both.


    Some interesting details: Maren Brinker was captain of Stuttgart back in season 2010/2011 and played also in this very SCHARRena the last matches of that season. Afterwards she went abroad to Italy and Poland, and learned and improved a lot. She became a much harder and mentally stronger attacker (was 2010/2011 second best attacker of German league already) and is now very well doing in situations like tie-break and the main outside hitter of German national team. Her than team mate Kim Renkeman probably can't play tomorrow, by the way. Schwerin has a similar issue also with an outside hitter, the long time Bundesliga player Louisa Souza-Ziegler (Brazil), so options are on both sides just all outside hitters minus one. The probable start lineup is like following (Schwerin has mainly German players, so I mention only non-German nationality, so Stuttgart has mainly non-German players, I mention German nationailty there:


    Schwerin role Stuttgart


    Louisa Lippmann opposite Aiyana Whitney


    Maren Brinker outside Renata Sandor
    Jennifer Geerties hitters Michaela Mlejnková


    Anja Brandt centrals Nia Grant
    Lauren Barfield (USA) Jennifer Pettke (GER)


    Denise Hanke setter Valerie Nichol


    Lenka Dürr libero Wanna Buakaew


    Replacements: Schwerin can bring in Ariel Gebhardt-Turner (USA) either for Louisa Lippmann as opposite or one of the outside hitters. Stuttgart will replace Aiyany Whitney occascionally with Deborah van Daelen as opposite; if Hernandez dares to replace seriously one of the very strong outside hitters Sandor or Mlejnková with one of the two Julias (Schaefer, Wenzel), is questionable considering the quality of the opponent.


    Quality of players: Lippmann is both a little more reliable and playing main attacker then Whitney does. The outside hitters of the likely starting six's are all four very good, maybe Maren Brinker is the toughest attacker of them, but the weakest receiver. Middles are all very good, maybe Stuttgarts Micheli Pissinato is a little better substitute than young Marie Schölzel of Schwerin.


    Setter Valerie Nichol is IMHO clearly better than German national Denise Hanke, despite the last has improved now compared to last season. Replacement setters Dannemiller (USA) resp. Carmen Kocar will not get much time tomorrow, I think. Both libero players get a lot of balls, which are very difficult to reach, they are world-class.


    Teamwork may be even a little better in Schwerin for now, because they are nearly all German nationals knowing each other well, while in Stuttgart not all connections are already that mature yet, but this is partly due to the demanding playing system of head coach Hernandez, which needs time to develop with all players.


    Overall I see two well balanced rivals tomorrow, with the considerable home advantage for Stuttgart, hall is sold out (more than 2.200 spectators). The last two seasons Schwerin could never win in Stuttgart, neither in league round, playoffs or DVV cup. But Schwerin is considerable stronger now and Stuttgart is not yet on the automated everything works level of last seasons - but they prepare very accurately and well for this special main rival.


    So finally, I can't give you an exact prediction, shape of the day also matters. Likely is a tie-break tomorrow, but don't ask me, who will win that one, if it happens indeed. But it is supposed to be a very good and tight match anyway.


    Table situation remains unchanged: even winning 3:0 (IMHO very unlikely) Stuttgart can't pass Schwerin for now, but only get on equal points with lower set ratio.

    After signing Stoltenborg, Aachen parts ways with American S Kimmy Whitson. The official version is that club and player have agreed that it's the best for her development to join another team and she has already talked to some clubs now.