Volleyball: Grafinger Zweite plans an intermediate spurt to relax

Created: 01/14/2023, 09:00

By: Julian Betzl

Leaves TSV Grafing towards VCO Munich: Michio Takano.

© club

The regional league volleyball men from TSV Grafing didn't want to put their feet up for too long.

"We only took a few days off over Christmas, but we've been busy again for two weeks now," says team spokesman Stefan Zenger, who is particularly pleased about the unusually large number of participants in the training sessions.

Grafing – With regard to the remaining eight games of the season, it is not only the Grafingen middle blocker who is very positive, “that everyone is highly motivated and hopefully also there regularly”.

Before the first performance test of the new year on Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at TSV Dinkelsbühl, Stefan Zenger doesn't want to beat around the bush: "Dinkelsbühl is last and therefore definitely a must-do.

We should beat them, otherwise we'll slip further back in."

Since there will probably be three direct relegations and one relegation participant in this regional league season and the point difference between ninth place (TV Mömlingen, 13 points), the Grafingers (6th/17) and third place (VC DJK Amberg, 20) just once six points, "every game counts from now on," says spokesman Stefan Zenger.

Knowing full well that after the upcoming four matchday weekends they will have a one-month break to regenerate for the final sprint, according to Zenger, the Bärenstadt team have set themselves an internal target for the “intermediate sprint in January”: “We want to get a solid third to fifth place , so that you no longer have to look down the table.”

In any case, Zenger's look at the squad list for the duel with Dinkelsbühl gives a lot of hope for an away three at the start of the year.

TSV coach Dejan Stankovic has twelve players at his disposal, including a long-awaited returnee for the Grafinger Mitte, which has often been sparsely manned.

For example, 19-year-old Luis Wieser has returned from his one-year study trip to Copenhagen to the middle blocker rotation with Zenger and the newly crowned junior national player Joshua Huber.

In Michio Takano, on the other hand, a Grafinger talent for acceptance/outside has said goodbye.

"Michio Takano asked for his passport release after Christmas," Stefan Zenger explains the "separation by mutual consent".

The 22-year-old has "good qualities - if he brings them to the field" and will from now on play for the third division club WWK VCO Munich alongside a number of young players trained in Grafing.

"Nevertheless, we are well filled in this position," says Stefan Zenger and focuses on Dinkelsbühl again.

Grafing's third division reserve was able to "solidly" win the season opener at home against Middle Franconia with 3:0 sets.

“However, I would rate Dinkelsbühl better at home.

It's always difficult to say how the opponent is positioned after a long run.” JULIAN BETZL