Berlin
Having started successfully into the new Bundesliga season, the side of the 2013 German national champion could score two important national league victories recently as the team of head coach Mark Lebedew edged Generali UNTERHACHING, one of the German standouts and 2013 national cup winner, 3-1 (25-22, 20-25, 25-17, and 25-19) in front of 6’621 spectators at Max-Schmeling-Halle and outdid RWE Volleys BOTTROP 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, and 25-10).
The away match in Bottrop also marked the beginning of a marathon of away matches for the group around team captain Scott Touzinsky which will not end before the beginning of December. Due to limited availability of the arena in Berlin, the Playoffs 12 participant of the 2013 edition will be traveling between national league matches, the prelims against TRENTINO, Arkas IZMIR and Energy Investments LUGANO and national cup competitions and thus will have to prove strength and team spirit.
Playing Diatec TRENTINO this Thursday thus won’t be an easy start into the team’s international campaign. “TRENTINO is one of the strongest team in the world”, BERLIN head coach Mark Lebedew knows. “Within the last five to six years TRENTINO’s squad has been composed of the world’s best players. There have been changes on several positions, but TRENTINO proved its strengths and ability to play at top level by claiming the third rank at the Club World Championships”.
Aware of the colossal task his team is facing the Australian mentor also knows about the advantages the side of BERLIN may have: “Normally, we won’t have big chances against TRENTINO. But the season has just started and we have nearly the same team roster compared to the previous campaign and we’re playing well together”. For the coach especially TRENTINO’s team captain Emanuele Birarelli is a player to watch out for: “He’s one of the world’s best middle-blockers and definitely a player we have to keep an eye on. And that’s also true for Tsvetan Sokolov”, Lebedew explains whilst smiling: “But basically, there’s always a chance”.
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