Match report Defeat in a tiebreak thriller

SWD powervolleys Düren suffer their first defeat of the Volleyball Bundesliga season. After two and a half hours, they lose 2-3 to champions Berlin Recycling Volleys. The set scores were 25-16, 23-25, 25-19, 33-35, 13-15.

Düren had the win in their hands but could not hold on to it. In the fourth set the team failed to see out a lead, then let numerous match points slip because of many service errors, and finally lost the dramatic set 33-35 after two attacking errors. Berlin take over first place, while SWD powervolleys drop to third, level on points with second-placed Friedrichshafen, who have played one match more. And Düren and Berlin confirm the unwritten rule of the past two years: they always need five sets and plenty of drama to decide who wins.

"The defeat is bitter. We lost the match when we couldn't defend our lead in the fourth set," head coach Christophe Achten said after the match. "But let's see where we stand at the end of the season if we show that we have learned something from this situation." He also responded to those who had said, after the five wins at the start of the season, that Düren had only faced easy opponents so far. "In this match we showed that it was no coincidence that we had won 15-0 in sets before. We weren't far from sending Berlin home with a 3-1. Now we have to learn from it so that it works next time."

Buckle up: set one started at full throttle. Düren were first to put their foot down. Philipp Lauter forced Berlin into quick errors with strong serves. When Robin Baghdady then put away the first counterattack in Berlin's court, SWD powervolleys led 5-1. Berlin blocked back quickly and ruthlessly, levelled at 7-7 and went ahead 8-7 after their first counterattack. After that, though, it was Düren again who hurt the visitors from the service line. Robert Viiber served, Robin Baghdady blocked for 14-12. Baghdady then went to the service line himself, forced a Berlin error and followed with an ace for 17-13. When Philipp Lauter first slowed a Berlin attack with his block and then converted the chance for 19-14, the set was all but decided.

The champions were anything but impressed. Berlin blocked back again, this time at the start of set two. Three times in a row the visitors turned Düren attacks straight into points of their own and led 6-3, then 8-4 after an ace. Düren could not keep up the hugely powerful serving of set one. The visitors could. Berlin won a long rally for 15-10 and blocked for 16-10. Düren kept trying to reopen the door to the set, for example with an ace from Robert Viiber and two block points from Daniel Wetter that followed. Berlin almost slammed it shut again with an ace from Nolan Flexen for 18-14. But even at 17-23 down, Düren did not give up. Substitute Andres Jefanov peppered the champions with serves. One ace and a counterattack from Robert Viiber later, Düren had closed to 21-23, and after a counterattack from Robin Baghdady even to 23-24. That was as close as they got, and Berlin just about survived the set.

What followed was a carbon copy of set one: Düren's serve was back and caused Berlin huge problems. Philipp Lauter crowned his run with an ace for 5-1. And once again Berlin fought back with big block points. At 10-11 the champions were within touching distance, but then had to let unleashed SWD powervolleys pull away again. It was 15-12 after a Berlin error. For 16-13, Robin Baghdady dug the ball with full commitment and Jordan Canham made the most of the chance in attack. The roles were reversed shortly afterwards: this time Jordan Canham scraped the ball up just before it hit the floor, and Robin Baghdady finished the counterattack with a cleverly placed shot for a decisive 21-16.

What came next was unlike anything seen in the arena that evening. The teams went head to head until Düren broke away mid-set: an ace from Robert Viiber and three straight block points from Jordan Canham, Robin Baghdady and Daniel Wetter put them 15-12 up. The lead did not last, because Düren let it melt away with attacking errors of their own. Berlin blocked for 18-18 and led 19-18 after a counterattack. Point by point, the teams fought their way into extra points. Robert Viiber earned the first match point with a block for 26-25, and many more would follow for the hosts. The team often took big risks on serve and was not rewarded. Düren had a chance to win at 27-26 but were stopped by the Berlin block. Up to 32-32 the visitors always managed to level, stayed in the match and finally took the set when Düren made their second attacking error in quick succession for 33-35.

Düren's serving problem remained. The team no longer found the balance between risk and avoiding errors and trailed 2-4 in the tiebreak after a technical fault. Philipp Lauter was the first whose serves found their mark again. He forced a Berlin error for 8-8 and set up the 9-8, which Jordan Canham finished in attack. Now, in the decisive phase of the match, it was Berlin who played more steadily. After a Düren attacking error for 9-10, they extended their lead to 12-10 with a clever counterattack. They led 13-10, all but decisively, when Düren made one of their few reception errors. The end of the match was bitter for SWD powervolleys: they closed to 13-14 after a Berlin attacking error and then had the chance to level, but could not take it. And so Berlin celebrated a hard-fought win.