Who Can Challenge the BR Volleys Now?

Johannes Tille, a player for BR Volleys, had a victorious time on Sunday evening as he left the pitch with a bright smile on his face. He was heading towards the changing room where a celebratory beer shower awaited him, a tradition to celebrate the victory. This was not his first victory, but a consecutive second one, and he had been declared the most valuable player in the final game. The Berlin-based team, the BR Volleys, had a unique achievement this time as they successfully defended their title in the competition, a first in the history of the club.

In the words of Tille, “We knew what was at stake and we showed what we could do.” The 26-year-old player has risen to prominence in Germany in recent years and has even qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris with the national team. Tille had previously been under contract with Herrsching, the opponent in the cup final, but the Volleys defeated them 3-0 on Sunday.

The victory was never really in danger for the Volleys. Even when Herrsching briefly took the lead by turning the score around in the third set, Tille was not too worried. He had expected a tougher fight from his former club, but the Volleys quickly regained their composure after a brief wobble in the third set.

Clubs like Lüneburg and Giesen are improving

The Volleys have now won the cup seven times. The team also holds the first place in the Bundesliga, just one match day before the play-offs. They were only knocked out from the Champions League last week by Trentino. Tille believes that Trentino is the best team in the world, which justifies the two 0-3 defeats in the quarter-finals against the Italian league leaders.

But when asked if his team was too strong for Germany and too weak for Europe, Tille disagreed. He believes that while they are good for Germany, they are not unbeatable. He also acknowledges that other teams are getting better and they cannot afford to be complacent. Tille is hopeful for a better draw for the quarter-finals in the Champions League next year. He believes that being in the top eight is a reflection of their position in Europe.

Teams like Lüneburg and Giesen have shown significant improvements in the Bundesliga. However, it seems unlikely that any team will pose a serious threat to the Volleys in the near future. During the award ceremony on Sunday, the players seemed relaxed. This was in stark contrast to the Stuttgart women, who celebrated their clear victory against Potsdam with great enthusiasm.

Kaweh Niroomand, the manager of the team, was relieved when the Volleys didn’t lose the third set. He appreciated the brief moment of tension, claiming that it was a good thing for the spectators. He said, “As a person affected, I’ll be happy if it’s over quickly. But of course that would have been a bit one-sided for the 11,000 spectators.”

The Volleys want to maintain their lead in the table

Niroomand promised his players a reward for winning the cup: three consecutive days off. Given the tight schedule this season, this would be a luxury for the players. But they would have to wait for the reward as the last game before the play-offs against Düren is scheduled for Saturday. Niroomand said, “We still have to push through until then. It will be a difficult away game in which we absolutely want to defend first place.”

Meanwhile, Giesen will play against Lüneburg. If the Berliners lose and Giesen win, the Grizzyls would still be able to get past the Volleys. However, the Volleys are confident after their cup win. “We wanted to defend all national titles this season and for the first time we managed to win the cup,” said Niroomand, who was the only one not to receive a beer shower on Sunday. He could then make up for it in a few months at home in the Max Schmeling Hall after the championship final.