Aachen - Borken 3:0 stats
MVP: Corina Glaab / Lara Kretschmer
The usual statistics: the attack of the three teams new in the league, coming from second league pro, it totally ineffective against the block and field defense of the already first league playing teams.
And USC Münster was by far too optimistic regarding the match in Suhl, the bets were very one-sided in favor of Suhl before, which I agreed on.
Display MoreVC Maritza - OK Dinamo
SL Benfica - OTP banka Branik
Olympiakos - Vasas Óbuda
Volero Le Cannet - OK Janta Volej
The 4 teams that qualified to the pool stage
For me a surprise, that Benfica LISBOA could win clearly against Branik MARIBOR. The other results were expected.
OMG, that is completely crazy. No one can be serious about that.
So it's a good thing when Stuttgart cares for a short cup match not to rob off the wildcats too much power.
First, they need to find a date. The VBL was so brilliant and managed to schedule a double-header in beautiful Bavaria for the Stralsund women on the same weekend as the DVV quarter-finals. 😂😂
They obviously didn't expect a win of Stralsund against Hamburg - but this was possible also before that match.
The hardest thing Stuttgart will suffer is the enormous distance (about the maximum possible in Germany, maybe 100 km more to Bodensee) to travel with bus to Stralsund: about 900 km. For comparison: for Schwerin this would have been just a fifth, about 180 km, and when Stuttgart plays Northern Italian teams in European Cups, these are about 350 to 500 km away.
And Aachen won in four sets in Wiesbaden and proceeded to the quarters too. Because Schwerin and Dresden will make it too tomorrow, expect the following eight teams in the draw tomorrow evening (19 o' clock on Dyn) for the quarters:
Borken (bye), Stuttgart, Stralsund, Münster, Suhl, Aachen, Dresden and Schwerin.
More results from the cup: Stuttgart won of course at second league team Waldgirmes in three sets, also in three sets Münster won in Erfurt and Suhl against Flacht. Because Schwerin and Dresden will win tomorrow for sure at further second league locations, the only match open now is Wiesbaden vs. Aachen, which is currently 1:1 and may go to tie-break like before in the league.
That's not quite right. It's happened at least twice. The last time a second-division team beat a first-division team was in the 2005/06 season. Back then, Bundesliga relegated team SCU Emlichheim defeated Bundesliga promoted team VC Muldenthal Grimma. The following year, second-division team SWE Erfurt received a bye in the first round because the actual Bundesliga promoted team, TSV Spandau, withdrew their team before the season started. Similar to Borken Potsdam case this year.
Okay this is longer away than I closely follow the league, but this was claimed too by the reporters in Stralsund, so I believed it in the first place. - And you can't count a bye, that is shear luck, not won by playing.
Hamburg wihout a chance against Stralsund in the cup. So there will be a second division team in the quarterfinals. Congrats to Stralsund
This is a first time event: never ever a team below first league could reach the quarters in national cup. I expected a difficult game for Hamburg in Stralsund in the Northern derby, but this was even pretty one sided, the Wildcats Stralsund with their best season performance and Hamburg couldn't cope with the expectation to win, lacking a sufficently strong attack as we know from first league stats. This enabled Stralsund to defend a lot...
Statistics: https://live.volleyball-bundesliga.de/2025-26/Women/8004.pdf
As you can see, Hamburg was worse and really bad in attack (just 27%) absolutely, Stralsund better (36%!). Also more blockkills for the wildcats (7 to 5) and more aces ( seven more).
So Borken lost against Hamburg, despite considered being stronger.
Unexpected clear victory of Stuttgart against Dresden in three sets. Hosts were better in every element and overall.
Muenster defeated Hamburg in the league as expected, but first set was 26-24, the others more one-sided, 3:0.
Borken ist already in the quarters because Potsdam first team no more exists, the other pairings fixed now are:
Waldgirmes (Hesse) vs Stuttgart
Stralsund vs Hamburg (might get interesting, kind of North derby)
Emlichheim (Lower Saxonia) vs Dresden
Planegg-Krailing (Bavaria) vs Schwerin
Qualifications for first round of is finished, one pure amateur team from second league North came through, Emlichheim won against Düsseldorf from second pro, the other three victorious regional cup winners were all from second league pro.
And meanwhile I can imagine Borken finishing in the table of league round before Erfurt, taking away a playoff spot from them.
Display MoreErfurt - Suhl 0:3 stats
MVP: Isabel Kovacic / Lara Nagels
Aachen - Schwerin 1:3 stats
MVP: Tsvetelina Ilieva / Anne Hölzig
Borken - Stuttgart 0:3 stats
MVP: Marika Loker / Lydia Grote
Even though they played with bench players most of the time, Stuttgart shouldn't be so closing to losing a set twice
Stuttgarts head coach Konstantin Bitter was not amused. Especially in third set Stuttgart turned it only at the end of the crunch time (standing 22-18 for Borken, only than Stuttgart came back and took it).
At the coming weekend the four duels of the 8 regional cup winners take place to determine the last teams for first round of national cup participants. Borken is already in the quarters because Potsdam ceased to exist...
Defending champion Schwerin ist really struggling at start of this season: the second defeat in the second match of duty this new season.
By the way Russian Superleague has already started as some minor European Leagues. In case of Russia it may be kind of paria mode.
