Berlin: BR Volleys at the start of the Volleyball Bundesliga: With Olympic momentum to defend their title three times

The BR Volleys won three titles last season. Expectations are high, but so was the upheaval in the squad. The Volleys have brought in half a team. By Jakob Lobach

What are the goals?

In a few words: “We want to defend all three titles that we won last season.” Kaweh Niroomand, managing director of the BR Volleys, left little doubt about the BR Volleys’ goals for the season at a press conference on Tuesday. League Cup, Cup and Championship – three competitions, three favorites, three times to celebrate.

“If you are successful, you can’t say: We don’t want to be successful next year,” said Niroomand, “no, we have to repeat it.” Just like the Volleys want to repeat their quarter-final appearance from the previous season in the Champions League – at least. “Maybe we can take the next step towards the semi-finals,” said Niroomand on Tuesday, flirting with more than the minimum.

How has the squad changed in the summer?

In one word: very! Seven new players and one returning player ensure that the BR Volleys are going into the new season with a completely changed squad. Important players such as Marek Sotola, Timothee Carl and Cody Kessel left, but a whole series of important players also stayed. The often outstanding setter Johannes Tille, for example, captain Ruben Schott and Nehemiah Mote.

In addition, there is a long and impressive list of new arrivals. There is, for example, the new trio from the US national team consisting of libero and captain Kyle Dagostin, the 2.10 meter giant Jake Hanes and middle blocker Matthew Knigge. Moritz Reichert, on the other hand, recently caused a sensation with the German national team.

“I was thrilled when I saw him at the Olympics and noticed the developmental steps he had taken,” said Niroomand about the outside attacker, who already played in Berlin from 2018 to 2020. After four years in the strong leagues in Poland and France, the 29-year-old should once again be an upgrade over the already strong Timothee Carl.

BR Volleys complete squad for the coming season with Simon Plaskie

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Under what circumstances does the new season start?

To put it simply: under mixed conditions. Two wins from seven preparation games is the unflattering record of the Volleys. Coach Joel Banks did not want to attach too much importance to this on Tuesday, however, but instead wanted to focus on the development of his team. And the temporary absence of his Olympic athletes during preparation.

They ensured the good under mixed circumstances. Moritz Reichert, Johannes Tille, Tobias Krick and Ruben Schotten finally caused a little volleyball euphoria with the national team in Paris, surprisingly making it to the quarter-finals and only narrowly losing to Olympic champions France. All of this was only possible because the Berlin quartet also impressed. “I think that we as a team can benefit from these experiences,” said Reichert, hoping for an Olympic effect for his new old team.

When, how and where does it start?

In brief: on Friday at the League Cup in Hildesheim. For three days, the Bundesliga teams will play in a knockout system for the first title of the new season. The BR Volleys will only enter the tournament in the second round. Their opponents on Friday (4:30 p.m.) will be either the Baden Volleys from Karlsruhe or the ASV Dachau.

The 2024/25 Bundesliga season starts for the Berliners a week later on Saturday (October 21st, 6 p.m.) at home against the Helios Grizzlys Giesen. In addition to the title favorite, the format also remains the same as in the previous season. Due to last year’s expansion of the league to 13 teams, the intermediate round is again omitted. Instead, the clubs now play in home and away games to determine eight playoff participants, who then determine the 2025 German champion in quarter-final, semi-final and final series.

Jan Fornal moved to the Volleys

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What about the other teams from the region?

To put it cautiously: better again. The Netzhoppers Königs Wusterhausen are back in calmer waters a good year after the chaos of insolvency. Instead of losing points like in the previous season, they are starting the new season this autumn with new hope. “We certainly won’t be tearing up the trees right away,” said managing director Dirk Westphal recently, “but we’re already committed to moving towards the play-offs.”

The most important factor here is the newly appointed coach Liam Sketcher. The 41-year-old Australian has already worked as an assistant coach in the Bundesliga in Friedrichshafen and Frankfurt and was most recently active in the Czech Republic. One of his key players is to be outside attacker Theo Timmermann. As a homegrown player and identification figure in one, the 27-year-old returned to Brandenburg from Herrsching this summer after just one season. New to the team are the two Bundesliga-experienced Yann Böhme and Hannes Gerken (most recently Lüneburg).

Meanwhile, the aim of the players wearing the VC Olympia Berlin jersey is to gain their first or further Bundesliga experience. The team from the national team is back in the Bundesliga this season after a one-year break. Since their players are highly talented, but still very young and inexperienced, they will be more concerned with points and the occasional set win than with victories.

Broadcast: THE DAY, 10.09.2024, 6 p.m.