It was impressive what Herrsching’s volleyball players offered the approximately 1250 spectators who came to the Audi Dome on Wednesday evening. The game against the Helios Grizzlys Giesen felt like a final, at least in this last intermediate round duel it was about fifth place – and thus about the best possible starting position for the playoff quarterfinals. Giesen was in fifth place until Wednesday, WWK Volleys from Ammersee could only overtake Lower Saxony if they won 3-0 or 3-1. And how they achieved this goal amazed even Herrsching’s managers: “We have so much faith in ourselves right now, we keep going,” said coach Thomas Ranner.
Herrschinger won the first set 25:23 after being behind 18:21. An attack and a block by diagonal man Jonas Kaminski, another block by Maciej Borris and Borris’ brute attack to win the set upset Giesen’s sovereign performance up to that point. In the second set it was 18:21 again – and Herrsching turned the game around again. Middle blocker Dorde Ilic converted the set ball to 30:28. In the third set, Herrsching’s deficit had grown to 12:17, but you can guess it: Ranner’s team fought back, it went into overtime again, which became dramatic. In the end it was 37:35 for Herrschinger – Stijn van Tilburg had converted the match point with another block.
“We don’t need to talk about who’s the favourite. The mountain is super high,” says coach Ranner
This duel, which seemed so one-sided on paper, lasted almost two hours, but the 3-0 was actually an equal match. The better block and attack rate and the stronger field defense ultimately led Herrsching to fifth place, where they can now easily see who their playoff opponent will be. The strongest group will not finish their intermediate round until this weekend, and with the exception of Berlin, which is in the final eight with TSV Haching Munich, everything is still possible for the Herrschingers: Lüneburg, Düren and Friedrichshafen. Friedrichshafen, which is only fourth in the league after very mixed performances, is now playing against leaders Berlin – and in the event of a defeat, Herrsching would be an opponent.
“We’ve already beaten Düren and Friedrichshafen in the league,” says Ranner. “But we don’t need to talk about who’s the favourite. The mountain is super high.” Friedrichshafen and Düren finally played in the Champions League this season, VfB only failed there on Wednesday in the quarter-finals. And Lüneburg showed very convincing games in the CEV Cup.
Decent flight altitude, but probably no chance again against Berlin: Hachings Quentin Zeller.
(Photo: Wolfgang Fehrmann/HMB Media/Imago)
While for Haching Munich, which has so far only won against the VC Olympia Berlin squad and against Königs Wusterhausen, after the first playoff games against the German champions Berlin, the season is very, very likely over, Herrsching’s goal is clear: the first semi-final – Entry at all in the history of the club. Incidentally, the chances are good for the club to be able to compete in the CEV Cup next year. “We want to play internationally and we have the full support of our sponsors,” says Ranner.
The Hachinger are still very far away from such spheres. They want to consolidate themselves in the House of Lords, and the very limited budget doesn’t really help them. A major sponsor like Generali once did is still not in sight. In addition, a local rival in ASV Dachau is also striving for the upper house – and with its successful offspring would be a direct competitor not only in the fight for sponsors, but also for young volleyball talents.
For Herrsching, a few rungs up the ladder, it’s about establishing himself structurally in Munich, where the audience has so far been very reserved. It’s not easy, because costs have risen in all areas, says Ranner. So the Herrschinger have to continue to save on the trappings and improvise wherever possible.
But the statistics speak – if the opponent in the playoff quarter-finals is actually called Friedrichshafen, for the outsider: Herrsching has won six of the last seven league games, VfB only one of the youngest five. On April 4th, the Volleys in Munich welcomed their opponent, whatever their name, full of self-confidence. “We now have this tailwind,” says coach Ranner. And it simplifies a lot, also in sports.
