In the preliminary round, we competed in Group B against Oberschule an der Ronzelenstraße from Bremen and Main-Taunus-Schule Hofheim from Hesse (replacement). Against Hamburg, our girls – deeply impressed by the whole event – started the match very nervously. The ball seemed to be more of an enemy than a friend. Several serving errors and minor mistakes in their build-up play initially allowed their opponents to take the lead. However, as the first set progressed, each point won gave them more confidence, enabling them to win it comfortably 25:18. Winning the set calmed everyone's nerves, allowing us to finally play more freely and courageously. This led to a well-deserved final score of 25:19 and our first win of the tournament!
In the second match of the day against Hessen II, there were several long rallies with great attacking and defensive actions. The lead changed hands repeatedly until crunch time. Finally, our players prevailed 25:21. The second set was similar. Here, too, we were able to pull ahead 24:21 in the end. But the opponents did everything they could to fend off the match points. The girls from Hessen really turned up the heat and defended all of our powerful attacks in spectacular fashion. We were unable to score any more points in attack and ended up losing the set 24:26. In the deciding set to 15 points, our opponents initially took the lead again. It was only after trailing 0:3 and 6:8 at the change of ends that the tide turned: thanks to strong blocking and serves as well as targeted attacks, we won 15:12 and secured the group victory!
| Place | Team | Points | Set points | Ball points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Georgianum | 4:0 | 4:1 | 114:96 |
| 2 | Hesse | 2:2 | 3:2 | 109:102 |
| 3. | Hamburg | 0:4 | 0:4 | 75:100 |
As group winners, we faced the winner of the match between the second-placed (Hamburg II) and third-placed (Bayern) teams in the intermediate round. The winners, Hamburg, put us under constant pressure with strong serves and good defensive actions. However, our reception remained stable, allowing us to repeatedly launch varied attacks with precise passing – whether powerful spikes or precise lobs. Our successful blocks, which hit the opponent's court like rockets, were particularly noteworthy in this match. We ended the first set 25:19. In the second set, we were again in the lead until crunch time, when our opponents caught up again. But Georgianum showed great nerve, serving powerfully at the end and blocking successfully several times, so that this set was also won 2-0.
The first day of competition was thus a complete success: a great atmosphere, three matches, three wins and a place in the matches for 1st to 6th place!
In the final matches of the second day of competition, we faced players from sports boarding schools who integrate their hobby of volleyball into their daily timetable. Our first opponent was Dachau (who went on to become German champions!).
We didn't really get into the game in the first set and lost 16:25. In the second set, however, we got back on track: right from the start, the talented players from Dachau had problems receiving our strong serves. Our reception repeatedly found our setter, who enabled powerful attacks with her precise passing. We remained in the lead until the end of the set! But in the end, we lacked the mental strength to sink the ball into the opponent's court and win the set. Dachau turned the set around with a strong defence and blocking performance and still won 26:24.
In the second match of the day, we faced the sports school from Münster – the Pascal Gymnasium.
Knowing that we could hold our own against squad players, we started the first set with a huge lead: 3:0, 6:1, 14:8, 19:14 – everything looked set for a clear victory in the first set! But not so with Münster: they increased their defensive play and attacking pressure. Suddenly, our reception faltered and our attacks no longer hit the court or were blocked. Unfortunately, we were unable to regain our stable play and ended up losing 23:25. Disappointed and angry about the unnecessary loss of the set, we started the next set as we had the first: everything was going well again, we were always leading by a decent margin and ended up winning the set 25:22! The deciding set had to determine the winner. However, we were no longer able to play as powerfully as we had in the first two sets. Imprecise passes allowed the Münster players to repeatedly block and defend successfully, so that we ended up losing the match after all. In terms of play, we were clearly superior to the Münster players and also dominated in many phases of the game – but mentally, their greater experience gave them the edge to play precisely and effectively in tricky situations.
An outstanding performance by our players in this group stage against the eventual German champions Dachau and the eventual third-placed Münster!
| Place | Team | Points | Set points | Ball points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bavaria (Dachau) | 4:0 | 4:1 | 113:92 |
| 2 | NRW (Münster) | 2:2 | 3:3 | 114:119 |
| 3 | Georgianum | 0:4 | 1:4 | 97:113 |
The plan was to mobilise all our strength once again in the match for fifth place and have a nice end to the tournament. The intense matches beforehand, interrupted by several long breaks and referee activities, now showed in our reduced ability to concentrate. In the first set, we couldn't find our game at all and Hamburg was able to play as they pleased. In the second set – with our backs against the wall – we finally found our touch again and fought our way point by point to win the set. The deciding set started again to Hamburg's advantage, who were leading 8-5 at the change of ends. We managed to equalise and a neck-and-neck race began. In the decisive phases, as against Münster, we unfortunately failed to implement our tactical agreements, allowing Hamburg to secure 5th place in the tiebreak.
At the end of the last game, we were a little disappointed about the missed opportunities, but in the evening we went to the award ceremony for all 36 teams (18 girls' and 18 boys' teams) happy and proud of our performance at this German championship. Each team received a certificate, a ball bag, a volleyball, a beach volleyball and a warm-up shirt as gifts! The top three teams also received a medal and a ball trolley. The organiser, DVJ, then invited all the players to a party to celebrate their participation and success in the tournament.
To our players Marit Echelmeyer, Lotta Egbring, Theresa Hilvert, Mila Teepker, Isabella Schorr and Luisa Frericks (all in Year 8b), who represented the Georgianum in an exemplary manner both on and off the field in Bad Blankenburg and made a big impression with their play on the established teams in this competition!