03/02/2014 21:43
PARIS Volley takes on German underdog TV Ingersoll BÜHL in CEV Cup Challenge Round
2014 CEV Volleyball Cup - Men
Paris, France, February 3, 2014. Back in 2009 PARIS Volley played Spain’s Unicaja ALMERIA in the Challenge Round of the CEV Volleyball Cup and even though the guys from France’s capital city were the clear favorite, they eventually lost missing out on the chance to make the Final Four Tournament in Athens. PARIS Volley captain Dennis van der Veen – who was a member of the team already back then – does not want to go through the same experience as his team plays Germany’s TV Ingersoll BÜHL in the Challenge Round of the 2014 CEV Volleyball Cup – Men.
Though they are debuting this year in the European Cups, TV Ingersoll has already caused a couple of sensations edging past Italy’s Bre Banca Lannutti CUNEO and Greece’s PAOK THESSALONIKI in the previous rounds. The German-born libero of PARIS Volley, Markus Steuerwald (pictured together with Marko Ivovic) believes that “this is going to be a difficult game” and stresses the importance of a good ambiance on Tuesday night in Paris so as to claim the home match before traveling to Germany next week for the return game.
After losing to AJACCIO in the last round of the national league (1:3), PARIS Volley will try to get back on track and repeat the performance they showed in their home matches against Budvanska Rivijera BUDVA and Jihostroj CESKE BUDEJOVICE in the prelims of the 2014 CEV DenizBank Volleyball Champions League where they cruised to two straight victories.
TV Ingersoll, on the other hand, is currently ranked fourth in the Bundesliga after they also lost their last game (2:3) to MOERSER SC.
In order to stay in contention for the trophy that will be at stake in late March, PARIS Volley – the team that won the inaugural edition of the CEV Volleyball Champions League back in 2001 – will have to find a way to stand the challenge brought by the German rookies around rising star Björn Höhne.
Click here for a short video interview with PARIS Volley libero Markus Steuerwald (in French)
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