Germany aiming to get back to EuroVolley title contention

Germany’s impressive run in the last seven editions of the CEV EuroVolley Women's has set expectations that this talent-laden team could be a serious contender for the next several seasons. Could this be the year it reaches the championship plateau?

Falling just one win short of making it to the medal round, the Germans absorbed a heartbreaking five-set defeat to former two-time champion and host Poland in the quarterfinals of EuroVolley 2019. Eventually, they ended their campaign - that was highlighted with a 5-0 win-loss record in the group stage - at sixth place, marking the seventh consecutive time they finished in the top 8 of the continental championship. However, none of these have produced the country’s first ever gold medal since joining the tournament as Germany in 1991.

In 15 appearances, Germany’s best finish was its back-to-back silver medal in 2011 and 2013, when they lost to Serbia and Russia respectively in the grand finale. Since then, Felix Koslowski's squad has failed to reach the semifinals as it settled for 5th place and 8th place in the next two editions.

This year, the gold medal hunt continues for the Germans. And though the path looks rough, they have the right pieces to win it all this time.

Unlike at the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League, Germany will not be without its biggest asset, Louissa Lippmann, at the EuroVolley 2021. The country’s top scorer will once again put the team on her back - this time equipped with massive experience after years of playing for different clubs overseas such as the Shanghai Bright Ubest in China and the Lokomotiv Kaliningrad in the Russian league. Adding another award to her already-impressive resume, the 26-year old veteran captured the Best Opposite Spiker recognition at the 2020 Women's European Olympic Qualification Tournament, where she led Germany to a runner-up finish.

While Lippmann has the capability of singlehandedly winning games, she will have a lot more help this season. The 2014 Montreux Volley Masters champions are incredibly loaded in the wing position as it has reliable spikers in Jennifer Janiska, Hanna Orthmann, Lina Alsmeier, and Kimberly Drewniok, who all showed a lot of promise during the 2021 VNL in Rimini. In addition to wing depth, Germany’s net defense will be at full strength, with Camilla Weitzel, who finished as the ninth best blocker at the 2021 VNL, and Marie Scholzel, manning the middle.

Germany is grouped with Poland, Greece, Spain, Czech Republic, and host country Bulgaria in Pool B, and will start the tournament on August 19 against Poland, in a re-run of their EuroVolley 2019 quarterfinal match.