“I just can’t stop as long as I feel this tingling sensation in my heart and stomach,” Georg Grozer said before his comeback in the German national volleyball team. And then he was right back in his first competitive game after 20 months of abstinence for the German national volleyball team.
In the opening win against Croatia in Tallinn, Grozer once again advanced to the point-best player when he entered the European Championship. The 36-year-old contributed 16 points, including three aces, to the relatively easy 3-0 (25:20, 25:13, 25:19) success. He also shone with eleven successful attacks and two “killing blocks”.
From the beginning, Grozer put pressure on the Croatian acceptance with his attacks and serves. If the first set was still contested until 13:10, before the bigger class prevailed on the German side, the team of national coach Andrea Giani dominated the second round from the start and stormed a set win over 11: 5 and 20: 8 . The third section was more balanced again, without the Germans running the risk of abandoning it. In addition to Grozer, middle blocker Tobias Krick shone with ten points in the attack.
“We started well, served well and worked in the block, which meant we exerted a lot of pressure,” said Giani. After the successful start, Grozer clapped each other with all of his new old teammates. The tingling sensation hadn’t disappointed him. In the second group D round match, the German selection will face co-hosts Estonia on Sunday, before the prestige duel against Olympic winners France on Monday.
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