Report Ladies I

Despite last-minute personnel changes, a clear victory against Heidelberg was achieved in the first match. Thanks to the almost perfect reception, clever passing and precise attacks, a defeat was out of the question. As Heidelberg also lost to Hamburg in the next match, the team was already assured of progressing to the semi-finals. The only thing that mattered in the match against Hamburg was who the team would face in the semi-finals. If they lost, they would face the reigning champions from Cologne. The motivation was therefore high to win and get the supposedly weaker opponent Munich. However, the ladies from Hamburg had the same motivation. After a thrilling match that went into extra time in both sets (26:28, 28:30), the Karlsruhe women were defeated by the physically superior Hamburg team despite a continued almost perfect reception and a very strong blocking and defensive performance.

On Sunday, they then faced the reigning champions from Cologne in the semi-finals. After a weak start to the first set, the team was able to fight its way back into the match towards the end. This fight was carried over into the second set and the lead was held until crunch time. However, the team from Cologne then turned up the heat once again and won the set to advance to the final.

As the Hamburg team lost to Munich in the semi-final at the same time, there was a repeat of the group stage in the match for third place. Unfortunately, the air was out of this match. The reception was shaky compared to the rest of the tournament, the team could no longer get through in attack and the defense was uncoordinated. Nevertheless, the team gave everything and fought with all their might until the last point. The center in particular was able to convert a few spectacular attacks into points at the end. In the end, however, it was not enough and they only finished fourth.

All in all, however, a very strong tournament and a better placing than last year. This gives us hope for a podium finish next year.

Report Men I

As the reigning champions and hosts, the men from Karlsruhe went into this year's German University Championships with high expectations. In front of a home crowd, in a familiar hall and with a strong line-up, they wanted to defend their title - the conditions for a successful tournament seemed ideal. However, the team suffered a severe setback in the group stage. In the opening game against Konstanz, the Karlsruhe team did not find their usual game and suffered an unexpected defeat. They also failed to flip the switch in the following duel against Rostock - the second defeat meant an early exit from the battle for the medals. Instead of competing for the title, the hosts only had the placement round to play for. In the match for fifth place against Erlangen-Nürnberg, the Karlsruhe team put in a concentrated and cohesive performance to leave the tournament with a sense of achievement.

In sporting terms, the home tournament fell short of the high expectations for the men from Karlsruhe, but they were able to win the title at the EUSA Games and show that they are still among the best.