15/01/2018 15:35
BR Volleys gathering momentum
2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League - Men
Berlin, Germany, January 15, 2018. Looking back upon successful five years that have added some major milestones to their club’s history at the national and international level, BERLIN Recycling Volleys have undergone a radical change at the beginning of the current season. Struggling to live up to the extremely high expectations, the newly built team of Luke Reynolds has been searching for self-confidence and routine recently. However, with a crucial victory claimed in Germany’s Bundesliga this Sunday and the well-known energetic atmosphere at Max-Schmeling-Halle, the fourth-placed side from last year’s Final Four in Rome is willing to gather momentum as they await Spacer’s TOULOUSE VB in Berlin this Wednesday for their first home match of the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League.
Since their return to Europe’s elite competition in 2013, BERLIN Recycling Volleys have always either qualified for the Playoffs 12 - or as in 2016 moved to the CEV Cup - celebrating Volleyball fiestas at their home ground arena Max-Schmeling-Halle that became the place to be of the 2015 CEV Volleyball Champions League. Hosting the Final Four in 2015, former head coach Mark Lebedew and his team could even claim the bronze medal in front of their home crowd. Only one year later, they could add the first international title to the club’s history, winning the 2016 edition of the CEV Cup. A milestone that was just outdone by the qualification to the 2017 CEV Champions League Final Four in Rome, which meant that the BR Volleys were one of the top four teams in Europe.
“The last couple of years have been really successful for our club. Although it has always been a goal to evolve to an international top-class team, the development we have undergone and the achievements we could celebrate have been enormous,” President Kaweh Niroomand resumes, adding, “We exceeded our hopes and dreams by far and raised expectations to an ongoing triumphal procession we can hardly live up to.”
Ahead of the 2017-2018 season, the BERLIN Recycling Volleys underwent major changes as Luke Reynolds took over the position of head coach. However, not only the coaching staff has changed. There has been at least a new player in every position – and such a radical change has not been without consequences. Not being qualified for the national cup final and lagging behind an immensely strong VfB FRIEDRICHSHAFEN in Germany’s Bundesliga, the team of Luke Reynolds has to fight for their standout position in Germany this year. With two losses in the 2018 CEV Volleyball Champions League prelims against pool favourites JASTRZEBSKI Wegiel and Zenit KAZAN, the BR Volleys have not claimed a single point yet.
The first home match of their international campaign against Spacer’s TOULOUSE VB this Wednesday however, might come just right in time. Edging SWD powervolleys DÜREN this Sunday, BERLIN could celebrate a crucial win against a major competitor that may give the team around captain Robert Kromm the chance to gather momentum. “We want to make use of our home match advantage, and that is our fantastic crowd at Max-Schmeling-Halle,” Kaweh Niroomand says. “With the support of our fans we will hopefully not only celebrate an international Volleyball evening but will also be able to give off our best to take the first win in this Champions League season!”
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