The intermediate round of the volleyball league brings the BR Volleys six top games in a row in the next six weeks. The German champions will start on Saturday (8 p.m. / Max-Schmeling-Halle) in the home game against Düren. “The people of Düren should not be underestimated. When they really start rolling, it becomes dangerous,” warns Volleys Managing Director Kaweh Niroomand.
In the main round, the Volleys defeated the Rhinelanders twice, both times 3-1. Not only from these two games did the Berliners gain insight into the control center in the Düren game. “Sebastain Gevert mustn’t get too many chances against our one-block,” says Niroomand out of respect for the opponent’s 34-year-old Chilean diagonal attacker.
Both teams will also meet in the cup final on February 26 in Mannheim. That doesn’t play a role for Saturday, says Niroomand, “but after the game everyone will definitely draw their own conclusions.”
In the intermediate round, Group A consists of the four best teams from the main round. All previously scored points have been deleted and replaced by bonus points according to the table situation. The volleys start the intermediate round as the first in the main round with eight points. VfB Friedrichshafen received six points in second place, SVG Lüneburg in third four and Düren in fourth two points.
“I’m a strong supporter of the intermediate round,” says Niroomand, “but I’m not happy with the rule with the point gaps. It’s just too tough a measure for us as the leaders of the table when the second team can overtake us with a single 3-0 or 3-1 win.” The BR Volleys and Düren were also separated by 14 points after the main round. Now it’s only six points. (dpa)
Source: Tagesspiegel
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