The Berlin Volleys have reinforced their lead in the Volleyball Bundesliga. At SWD pwoervolleys Düren, the German champions won their fourth game of the intermediate round on Friday evening 3:1 (21:25, 25:18, 25:19, 25:23). Just five days earlier, the two teams had faced each other in the German Cup final in Mannheim. The volleys asserted themselves there with 3:1.
Three days after the cup defeat, Düren released their coach Rafal Murczkiewicz and replaced him with his previous assistant Björn-Arne Alber as an interim solution. In addition, the 41-year-old Björn Andrae had to help out in the important diagonal position for the hosts, as Sebastian Gevert, who was usually seeded there, was injured.
Up until 20:20 in the first set, neither team was able to gain significant advantages. But in the final phase, the hosts used their chances consistently to set themselves apart. The BR Volleys then got more access to the game with an improved serve, even if they had to accept a series with 0:5 points in the second half after a 15:10 lead due to sudden concentration problems.
The action remained hard-fought even after the 1:1 set equalization. The BR Volleys gradually gained a slight advantage with the outstanding triumph of Anton Brehme and Marek Sotola. Even in the phases in which Düren played to catch up after a clear deficit, the Berliners kept a cool head.
In the fourth set, the BR Volleys conceded the equalizer after a 22:19 lead. A missed serve by Andrae finally decided the game with the second match ball in favor of the Berliners.
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