picture: DVV Pokal - Kevin Mattig

VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen pulled off a major upset on Saturday night in the German cup final. In a sold out SAP Arena in Mannheim, Suhl defeated heavy favourites Allianz MTV Stuttgart after a gripping five set thriller. With three Yellow Tigers playing key roles, Belgium had an extra reason to tune in, Lara Nagels celebrated with Suhl, while Anna Koulberg and Pauline Martin came agonisingly close to the trophy with Stuttgart.

Suhl approached the final with zero fear and played two sets with control and boldness. The first two sets deservedly went to the team from Thuringia, while Stuttgart largely found itself chasing the game.

From set three onwards, the momentum shifted. Stuttgart gained more stability in serve receive and defence, extended the rallies and gradually found its rhythm. By taking sets three and four, the match was wide open again, meaning the tie break had to decide who would lift the cup.

In that tie break, Stuttgart briefly looked on course for the title. Suhl trailed 11-13, but refused to fold, clawed its way back point by point and eventually edged the thriller 15-13. Final score, 3-2 for VfB Suhl.

A final with everything you could ask for, Germany got a true spectacle, with three Yellow Tigers adding even more colour to the story.

Nagels, “We grabbed them by the throat right away”

“It’s unbelievable what we achieved in Mannheim. We started the match with huge hunger and we were able to grab them by the throat right away. Sets one and two were, in my opinion, among our best sets of the season. From set three on we had problems in serve receive and Stuttgart started to get back into the match. In set four we also had chances to finish it, but Stuttgart still took the set, so an exciting tie break had to decide the match. It went our way by the smallest margin, to Suhl. I’m incredibly proud of my team for the way we showed up on the court.”

For Suhl, it is only the second DVV Cup in the club’s history, and the first since 2008. That made the celebrations in Mannheim even bigger.

Koulberg, “That conviction is what we were missing”

On the other side, disappointment dominated at Stuttgart.

“My feeling after the cup final is definitely disappointment. We let it slip and Suhl started every set with one hundred percent conviction. I think that conviction was exactly what we were missing. We were chasing the game the whole time and that’s not what should happen in a cup final. Luckily we won 3-0 yesterday, a quick reset so we can go all in for the championship, and that is one thousand percent our goal now.”