The contrast could hardly be much greater: After the BR Volleys were under a lot of pressure in the cup and only just managed to beat Lüneburg in the tie-break, they are now expecting a game in the Champions League in which expectations are likely to be significantly lower.
It goes against the last remaining group opponent, namely Aluron CMC Zawiercie. “It’s the group game with the least pressure to succeed,” says Managing Director Kaweh Niroomand. “We are welcomed by a really strong opponent.” The volleys are not the favorite and could therefore “hopefully serve with a certain ease.”
Most recently they had to prove themselves away from Halbbank Ankara, where they managed to take a set but no points. Before that, they prevailed against the Bulgarian champions in a hard-fought duel at home in the tie-break. In order to make it to the next round of the Champions League, volleys could also benefit from the new game mode. Accordingly, not only the first and second in the groups qualify, but also the third fight for the last place in the quarterfinals. The other third parties in the group automatically slip into the quarter-finals of the European Cup. So there are still a few duels at European level for the Berliners.
Alone on the sidelines is not easy
Head coach Cédric Énard, who has survived his corona infection and has been represented by assistant coach Lucio Oro, will also be there on Wednesday evening (6 p.m.). Every set and point win can be valuable for the overall calculation, says Niroomand. “Of course it helps that Cédric is back. Lucio did that very well, but when you’re alone on the sidelines, it’s not easy.”
Zawiercie has been unbeaten in nine games both nationally and internationally and is considered a group favorite. In particular, outside attacker Uroas Kovacevic, who is at the top of the European scorer list with 56 points, repeatedly excelled. But Libero Santiago Danani, who played in Berlin last year, also impressed. For him, Wednesday’s game will also be a reunion with old teammates and friends like Ruben Schott, with whom he spent a lot of time.
If we want to bring points from Poland, we have to play at our very best level.
Marek Sotola, attacker of the Berlin Volleys
On the Berlin side, players like Marek Sotola, who scored 50 points, and Timothée Carle have recently shone in attack. It will depend on them in Poland. In addition, the Berliners have to increase their serve pressure if they want to survive against Zawiercie. “If we want to bring points from Poland, we have to play at our very best level,” says Sotola. Niroomand also makes it clear that he only sees a chance of taking one or even more points home on a “very, very good day for our team”.
The players motivate each other
They proved against Lüneburg that the volleys can handle pressure and turn games around. Last season, they often struggled with being behind in a game. It’s different this year: The players push and motivate each other when things don’t go so well in the meantime. Despite the many newcomers, they quickly came together as a team and know how to use their top players well. With a view to the Champions League, it should be interesting to see whether the new setter Arash Dosanjh will be used.
In the cup game against Lüneburg, Johannes Tille played from the start, replacing Ángel Trinidad, who is still out due to injury. It was also particularly clear there that the volleys can support each other and show fighting spirit when it counts. This mentality could also benefit them in Poland.
In the cup game against Lüneburg, Johannes Tille played from the start, replacing Ángel Trinidad, who is still out due to injury. It was also particularly clear there that the volleys can support each other and show fighting spirit when it counts. This mentality could also benefit them in Poland.
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Source: Tagesspiegel
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
