Bydgoszcz, Poland, June 7, 2018 – Coach Felix Koslowski enjoyed the opportunity to shuffle his line-up a lot as Germany faced no issues in shutting out Argentina on the last day of the FIVB Volleyball Nations League tournament in Bydgoszcz. With pretty much the entire squad getting some time on the court, the European team cruised to a 3-0 (25-16, 25-13, 25-16) victory.
With Denise Hanke brilliantly orchestrating the German offence whenever she was in play and shaking the opponents’ reception from the serving line, her team was well in control throughout the match. Not only that, the German setter herself contributed to the scoring tally with three aces, one stuff block and one spike.
19-year-old Hanna Orthmann, who came in as a sub during the first set, made a very strong performance as her 12 points (including two aces and one block) made her the best scorer of the match. Germany’s usual top point maker Louisa Lippmann, who took some rest for the ending of the second set and the entire third set, finished on 10 points.
Sol Piccolo was Argentina’s only player to reach the double digits, as she kept her team breathing with 10 points.
In each of the first two sets, the South Americans managed to pull an early two-point lead, but other than that the Germans completely dominated the match to register their fifth win out of 12 matches in the VNL. This is also their sixth victory over Argentina out of the seven games the two sides have played in major world level competitions.
Marie Schoelzel was instrumental for Germany in turning the score and establishing control at the beginning of the match as she made four of the team’s first eight points, including two consecutive aces within a five-point German run. Another series of six consecutive points with Hanke on serving duty made the score 22-13 and erased all Argentinean hopes for a comeback in the first set.
A rarity in the world of volleyball, two different players aced for Germany within the same rotation during the second set. Lippmann scored a direct point from the serving line and followed up with a successful back row hit, before she was replaced by 20-year-old Kimberly Drewniok who soon chipped in with a precision on-the-line ace to complete a six-point run for Germany.
This was close to happening in the third set as well. Hanke had her team pacing on from the serving line and scored two consecutive aces before she was substituted for by 19-year-old setter Pia Kaestner, who led Germany to the victory through the end of the match, even contributing with a couple of her own attacking points.
During the last week of round robin play in the VNL, June 12 through 14, Argentina will host a tournament in Santa Fe, playing against Korea, Serbia and USA. Germany will also stay at home, entertaining China, the Netherlands and Turkey in Stuttgart.