Suhl's women's volleyball team also wins the Super Cup

The Suhl women’s volleyball team’s winning streak continues even after the major shakeup. VfB Suhl won the Super Cup for the first time in club history with a 3-0 (26-24, 29-27, 25-23) victory, proving that last season’s double victory was no fluke. 

Following a rematch of the championship final, the Thuringian team also claimed the first title of this season. “It’s fun to celebrate this success with the team and see what we’re already capable of. The 3-0 victory was only possible because everyone gave it their all and we played with total passion,” said VfB opposite hitter Hannah Hartmann, who contributed 14 points to the win and was named MVP. 

The 21-year-old consistently caused problems for Dresden’s reception line with her serves. In addition, every substitution made by Suhl’s coach László Hollósy paid off. “I’m very proud of the team because the women showed today that nothing is truly impossible if you work hard. Even when we were in tough situations and made double substitutions, I could count on all the players. It was a great team effort, especially against Dresden.”

Dresden starts stronger—Suhl responds better

Last season’s runner-up had actually gotten off to a good start in front of 2,000 spectators in Coburg. In the first set, the DSC led 11–7 before Suhl found its rhythm. But even the Thuringian team faltered after a 22–18 lead and squandered two set points at 24–22, before an ace sealed the set for Suhl. In the second set, too, Dresden got off to a better start and quickly took a 14–8 lead. But Suhl fought back to 17–18, tied the score at 21–21, and converted their first set point to win 29–27.

Second Set: The Turning Point of the Match

For Dresden coach Alexander Waibl, that was the turning point. “It was a difficult match for us. We got off to a pretty good start, but in the first set we faced five or six extremely close calls against us. Ultimately, we lost the match in the second set. We had a relatively clear lead, but then struggled to produce anything effective when our reception wasn’t there,” said Waibl, adding: “As always, Suhl played very well in blocking, field defense, and they carried that momentum into the third set.”

Major Changes in Suhl and Dresden

Both teams had to undergo major changes during the summer break. Eight players left Dresden, and seven left Suhl. But Roosa Laakkonen remained as captain and middle blocker. Suhl’s team manager, Jens Haferkorn, calls the exemplary professional player “a machine.” At 31 years old, she was then able to raise the Super Cup trophy high in the air as the crowning finale. 

The Dresden team, on the other hand, failed to defend their title and secure their third Super Cup triumph ever. That would have put them on par with the record-holding champions, Allianz MTV Stuttgart and SSC Palmberg Schwerin. In the end, it came down to the finest of margins. “If you look at the score, a 3-0 win seems very clear—but every set ended with just a two-point difference. You could see that the coordination, even between the setter and the attacker, is still lacking. I think that was the deciding factor,” said DSC setter Sarah Straube.