Lausanne, Switzerland, April 26, 2019 – She likes drinking coffee with her grandmothers, she is a dog lover and she is German Volleyball Player of the Year for 2017 and 2018. “It’s a big honour for me! It shows that my hard work pays off and I am really proud to be on a list together with so many incredible German players!” Louisa Lippmann commented her award in an fivb.com interview ahead of the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League.
In the inaugural VNL season last year, Germany finished 11th after winning five of their 15 matches. Their 1.91-metre-tall opposite piled up 224 points, which made her the team’s most prolific point-maker and the fifth best scorer of the entire preliminary round.
“For sure I’m really happy about it, but I couldn’t be the best scorer without my team. In the end, it’s always more important to have a good team performance. You always win together,” said the 24-year-old athlete. “We are not happy about our result as a team, but it was realistic. A lot of young and talented girls joined the team and played their first matches in the national jersey. We have quality, but we have to grow and improve as a team. We always have to play and train at our maximum level to reach our goals.”
Germany took the 11th place at the 2018 World Championship as well. At both competitions they managed to defeat almighty Brazil, with Lippmann hammering out a fantastic 36 points towards the incredible comeback from two sets down in Japan. “We have seen what we can do and what we still need to make the top eight,” she commented and added that Germany should return among the world’s top 10 nations in the upcoming season, starting with the 2019 edition of the VNL. “We must not become cocky; we have to take small steps. Our team has to keep playing and the VNL is exactly the right stage for that. It is the perfect stage to battle with the top 16 teams of the world.”
In the fourth competition week, from June 11 through 13, Germany will entertain the Dominican Republic, Belgium and the Netherlands in Stuttgart. “For German volleyball this is a big chance to present the sport and make volleyball more popular. The German fans will get the chance to see some high-class volleyball without travelling to other countries. We should use this opportunity to show how unique our sport is,” Lippmann said.
After winning four national titles in a row at club level, Louisa Lippmann transferred to a non-German club for the first time in her career and spent the 2018-2019 season with Il Bisonte Florence. “The Italian league is known as one of the strongest in the world,” she explained her decision. “To play in Italy is like a dream come true! It was the next step for me and I’m so happy that I did it!”
In between her national team and club duties, Louisa Lippmann likes to make the most of the little free time she has.
“Last summer, after the VNL, we made a big trip to Tanzania. It was the best I've ever seen! I seriously can't describe how grateful I am for that experience! I’m still getting goose bumps when I think about it,” she recollected. “This summer we want to stay in Europe. When I get a few days off I try to fly to Germany to see my boyfriend and my family. When I stay in Florence I like to explore the city or enjoy the sun with a good cup of coffee. I am really in love with the coffee culture there. But I like being with my family. Honestly, all this is unspectacular. I enjoy drinking coffee with my grandmothers, meeting with my best friends or walking with our dog Einstein. I grew up with a golden retriever and I just love dogs. Unfortunately, it does not fit very well into the everyday life of a professional player.”
When asked to pick out her own dream team, Louisa Lippmann admitted it was a really difficult task, but then she got straight to the point: “Setter Joanna Wolosz (I like how she speeds up the game and she’s very precise), middle blockers Christiane Fuerst (for me one of the best blockers in the world with a great personality and will) and Foluke Akinradewo (her athletic and general performance is just impressive), outside hitters Jennifer Geerties (I played with her the last two years - for me she is one of the most stable players and perfectly organized in reception) and Zhu Ting (the best player in the world; the way she plays volleyball, technically and tactically, is just amazing) and libero Monica De Gennaro (her reaction is very fast and she defends almost every ball).”