Preview SWD powervolleys Düren: top match against the champions

SWD powervolleys Düren, top of the table, host the German champions BERLIN RECYCLING Volleys, who are also unbeaten. On Sunday from 5 pm the two leading teams of the Volleyball Bundesliga meet. The Arena Kreis Düren is already sold out. The match will be shown live on DYN (opens in a new tab).

At least one streak will end. Both teams have taken full points from their first five matches. With 15 points and a 15-0 set record, Düren have not even dropped a set. “The anticipation in the team is clearly growing,” head coach Christophe Achten says of the mood. Despite Düren leading the table, the visitors from Berlin are the favorites. The serial champions have won 64 of the 91 meetings so far in this classic. But it has often been close and almost always special. Last season was no exception, when both teams won their home matches in the tiebreak.

“We are facing a different Berlin,” says Christophe Achten. The new head coach Andrea Anastasi, one of the big names in world volleyball, has changed the champions’ game. Instead of building the attack around one dominant player as in recent years, Berlin now spread the load more. Above all, their setting has become faster again.

SWD powervolleys want to slow down this build-up. Their serve is the key: Berlin’s new setter Joshua Tuaniga should be able to set from an ideal position as rarely as possible. That would make it harder for him to use the strong middle blockers and slow down the sets to the outside.

Christophe Achten sees one deciding factor in the outside attack. The current starting lineups of both teams are similar: Düren play with Robin Baghdady and Marcin Ernastowicz, Berlin with Nolan Flexen and Tom Koops. In each pair, one is tall with an enormous reach. The other brings stability in reception and relies on his athleticism in attack. “I am very curious to see who comes out on top here,” says Düren’s head coach.

Christophe Achten can call on his full squad on Sunday.