German NT 2018

    With the club team season nearing its end, here is my prediction for NT invitations this summer. I think the core of the team will be the same as last year, plus some new/returning players on OH position and hopefully some old faces not returning anymore. Problem positions are still the same: we have no strong MBs and on libero position there is no alternative to Lenka Dürr.


    Setter:
    I assume Denise Hanke and Irina Kemmsies will be the main setters again. Mareen Apitz probably still isn't interested in returning to NT. Denise Imoudu didn't accept the invitation last year and IMO doesn't deserve one this year. I want to see Pia Kästner invited because she developed very well in Stuttgart and can be a good prospect for the future. Please no more Lena Möllers, she is 28 now and still the same mediocre player as ever.


    Opposite:
    Louisa Lippmann and Kimberly Drewniok will be there for sure, the latter plays a good season in Wiesbaden. A comeback of Saskia Hippe would be nice but actually I don't believe in it. Maybe young Aisha Skinner will get a call but I think it's too early for her to be a serious option.


    Outside hitter:
    I expect Jennifer Geerties, Jana Franziska Poll, Lena Stigrot, Tanja Großer and Dora Grozer to be invited again. Hanna Orthmann already received a personal invitation from Koslowski who came to Italy to watch a match of her live. Ivana Vanjak (if she wants to play for Germany) should also be called, she is a player who deserves a chance; same for Vanessa Agbortabi. Anne Hölzig had some good matches but I'm not sure if she can make it on international level. Lina Alsmeier should still play with Junior NT this summer but can be a great prospect for the future.
    Please no more Maren Fromm; Laura Emonts last year declined the invitation and I don't think NT needs her that urgently.


    Middle blocker:
    Unfortunately there is no other choice than re-inviting the same mediocre players as last year, i.e. Jennifer Pettke, Leonie Schwertmann, Lisa Gründing, Marie Schölzel and Barbara Wezorke. In the long run Camilla Weitzel can be the best German MB since Christiane Fürst, she impressed me a lot whenever she got a chance to enter the court in Dresden but she should be with Junior NT this year. Please no more Berit Kauffeldt for the same reason as Lena Möllers.


    Libero:
    Lenka Dürr, but then...I didn't get to watch Anna Pogany in her Swiss team but she had pretty good stats in all their Challenge Cup matches so maybe she can be a bigger help than last year. Lisa Stock started the season pretty well in Wiesbaden but later revealed some serious reception problems, but in lack of other options she deserves a chance at least. Sophie Dreblow was supposed to be a great prospect but this season proved in Potsdam that she isn't even ready yet to play as starter libero in 1st league. If anything happens to Lenka Dürr I think Koslowski will beg Lisa Thomsen to return.

    Info from several press articles: Ivana Vanjak and Maren Fromm are going to be invited to NT this summer. Fromm says that she still dreams of playing Olympic Games, she also wants to start a family but her husband is 4 years younger than her and they'll probably wait with having children until he retires.

    According to press articles from Dresden and Vilsbiburg, Felix Koslowski has invited 21 players for the preparation for VNL and NT training will start on 23 April in Schwerin (for the players who have already finished their season).


    I haven't been able to find the full roster anywhere but according to those articles Barbara Wezorke, Lena Stigrot, Jennifer Pettke and Vanessa Agbortabi have been invited. It means no other player from Dresden (i.e. Apitz/Schwabe) will be there.


    I hope the full roster will be announced soon.

    I'm happy Brinker/Fromm is called even though Idk about her staying untill Olympics, it depends I guess. Ofc she is not the best passer to put it lightly. Overall I still thought she had a decent season in Çanakkale and had some really good performances esp. offense-wise.

    VC Wiesbaden posted an article saying Kimberly Drewniok is invited to NT training starting on Monday. As they only mention her, I guess Tanja Großer and Lisa Stock will not be in NT this summer...


    Still no official info from DVV, but from the articles so far we know that 21 players are in the roster for VNL and among them are Barbara Wezorke, Kimberly Drewniok, Ivana Vanjak, Lena Stigrot, Vanessa Agbortabi, Jennifer Pettke, Leonie Schwertmann and most likely Hanna Orthmann.

    NT training starts today and DVV still hasn't published a single word, but I managed to find the 26 player roster for VNL on FIVB website and it certainly contains some surprises :what: However it's known that only 21 players will actually be in training, so some names on the roster are just there to have 26 players...


    S: Denise Hanke, Pia Kästner, Magdalena Gryka, Denise Imoudu
    OPP: Louisa Lippmann, Kimberly Drewniok
    OH: Maren Fromm, Jana Franziska Poll, Jennifer Geerties, Laura Emonts, Lena Stigrot, Hanna Orthmann, Vanessa Agbortabi, Ivana Vanjak, Anne Hölzig, Julia Schaefer
    MB: Jennifer Pettke, Leonie Schwertmann, Marie Schölzel, Lisa Gründing, Barbara Wezorke, Juliane Langgemach
    L: Lenka Dürr, Anna Pogany, Elisa Lohmann, Lisa Thomsen


    Absences (compared to last year's invitations): Irina Kemmsies :white: , Lena Möllers, Saskia Hippe, Berit Kauffeldt (retired), Tanja Großer, Dora Grozer


    Surprises (for me): Laura Emonts, Magdalena Gryka, Denise Imoudu, Julia Schaefer, Elisa Lohmann, Lisa Thomsen


    However, as I said some of the names on the list won't be in the actual training camp. I wonder what's the reason for the absence of Irina Kemmsies :S Maybe she needs the summer to finish/concentrate on her studies and will return for WCH ?(

    I'm seriously pissed with DVV :down:
    VNL starts in a week and there is still not one single word about NT on their website :wall:
    All we know is the roster on FIVB site and some info from clubs about players who are in NT training, but I still have no idea which of the players in the wide roster are not in training, which will (probably) play next week and so on. From Lenka Dürr's FB site I just know that today they had the official photoshooting for this year.

    Looks like my cry was heard, today DVV published a news about women NT, here is the 21 player roster practising for VNL, each week 14 of them will be selected for the different tournaments:


    S: Magdalena Gryka, Denise Hanke, Denise Imoudu, Pia Kästner
    OPP: Kimberly Drewniok, Louisa Lippmann
    OH: Vanessa Agbortabi, Maren Fromm, Jennifer Geerties, Hanna Orthmann, Jana-Franziska Poll, Lena Stigrot, Ivana Vanjak
    MB: Lisa Gründing, Jennifer Pettke, Marie Schölzel, Leonie Schwertmann, Barbara Wezorke
    L: Lenka Dürr, Elisa Lohmann, Anna Pogany


    So from the initial 26 player not included are Laura Emonts, Lisa Thomsen, Julia Schaefer, Anne Hölzig and Lisa Thomsen; now they have also been deleted on FIVB website.


    Quite a few new names, but unfortunately no info about the absent players, mostly Kemmsies...

    Hey guys, been absent for a while, but Im back! :)


    Matthias, dont know if you still access your facebook..hehe but sent you a message there, I dont know how to send pm here anymore..hehe

    Changes are announced now: Denise Imoudu replaces Pia Kästner, Barbara Wezorke replaces Jennifer Pettke and Ivana Vanjak replaces Hanna Orthmann.


    I really don't like the last one. Orthmann is our biggest prospect on OH position, IMO if she is healthy she should do the whole tournament and not 30 year old Jana Poll who has been very disappointing in week 1.