Match report Quarterfinal against the Grizzlys

The playoff quarterfinal opponent in the Volleyball Bundesliga is set: SWD powervolleys Düren face fifth-placed Helios Grizzlys Giesen. As fourth-placed team, Düren have home advantage first – the opening quarterfinal is next Saturday at 19:30 in the Arena Kreis Düren.

3-2 in Haching: searching for consistency

The last regular-season match at TSV Haching München no longer mattered for the table, as VfB Friedrichshafen defended third place at the same time with a clear away win at the Netzhoppers. While VfB played consistently and decisively there, Düren went through ups and downs in Haching and missed the chance to build confidence for the playoffs. In the end, the team scraped a 3-2 win: Düren won the first set 25-13, lost the second 22-25, won the third clearly, lost the fourth 23-25 and won the tiebreak 15-13.

Head coach Christophe Achten criticized that his team won the first set with very good serving and then went into sleep mode – and the same again after set three. Such lows cannot be afforded in the playoffs, he said, and the team must keep working on its consistency.

Inconsistent serving

Unlike the Netzhoppers, Haching played with ambition and motivation. They have not qualified for the playoffs and are well clear of the bottom of the table – playing without pressure, they came back after hard-serving Düren had clearly dominated them in the first set. Ryan Poole in particular caused the hosts problems in every element.

Düren's dominance lasted into the start of the second set and then broke off. Achten criticized that his team took its foot off the gas: a 7-3 lead turned into 12-12. Düren now served weakly and found no answer to Haching's momentum. A few easy attack errors late in the set gave Haching the 1-1 equalizer in sets.

In the end, the block makes the difference

Set three was shaped by substitute middle blocker Philipp Lauter. He blocked for 8-5 and went to the service line at 13-9. His tactical serving overwhelmed the hosts and set up points that Kyle Paulson in particular converted with blocks and attacks. At 19-9 the set was decided early.

In the fourth set the pattern repeated: after a 6-4 lead Düren became careless and trailed 10-11, with the serve no longer working. A reception error and an attack error late in the set forced the tiebreak. After the lead changed hands, Düren decided it late with two block points.