SVG Lüneburg triumphs 3-1 and takes the Bundesliga lead!

SVG Lüneburg triumphs 3-1 and takes the Bundesliga lead!

A home win with a lot of bravado: SVG Lüneburg defeated Baden Volleys SSC Karlsruhe 3-1 on December 28, 2025 in a sold-out crowd in the LKH Arena. In front of 3,200 enthusiastic fans, the game became a real volleyball festival that began with a turning point in the first set. Despite initial difficulties and a 25:27, the Lüneburgers showed their class and turned the game around with the set scores 25:21, 25:16 and 25:18. This victory not only catapults SVG to the top of the table Volleyball Bundesliga, but also secures a place in the cup final and marks the first victory in the Champions League.

Bernd Schlesinger, SVG's sporting director, had expressed concerns about the holiday games before the game. Nevertheless, his team delivered a strong performance. In the first set, Karlsruhe took advantage of Lüneburg's weaknesses and surprisingly took the set. But Lüneburg shook off the setback and brought a breath of fresh air into the team with captain Jesse Elser and Christopher Byam, which ultimately initiated the turnaround.

Outstanding players and a strong team performance

Especially in the fifth period, Lüneburg made short work of it and extended its lead thanks to an impressive series of serves from Byam. Elser shone as the second best scorer with an impressive attack rate of 60%. The MVP of the game was Sho Takahashi, who had a perfect reception of 46%. The best scorer of the match was John Obi from Karlsruhe, who scored 23 points, followed by Elser and Gruvaeus, who each contributed 13 points.

Although Karlsruhe head coach Guido Görtzen praised his team's first set, he still sees room for improvement, which suggests that there are still many exciting duels to come in the league. The men's Bundesliga, which has existed since it was founded in 1974, is currently very competitive. The current 2025/26 season features 15 teams and the top eight places qualify for the playoffs, which are played in a best-of-three and best-of-five format.

A look at the success story of the Champions League

But there are exciting stories not only in volleyball. The Champions League has a long tradition that can also be extended to football. A significant event was the 1997 final, when Borussia Dortmund defeated Juventus. Lars Ricken scored the decisive goal and became the hero of the game. The fans celebrate similarly at FC Bayern Munich, which has a total of three Champions League victories, including the legendary victories in 2001 and 2001. However, the memory of the lost finals remains particularly vivid, such as the failed 1999 final against Manchester United, which is considered the “mother of all defeats”.

Interestingly, the Champions League season in 2023 was once again not a stroke of luck for Bayern as they were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Inter Milan. In addition, the 2025 final between Paris Saint Germain and Inter Milan will be broadcast live on Twitch, a first among major football events.

SVG Lüneburg's rise in the Volleyball Bundesliga reflects a current trend that can also be observed in other sports. The fans can look forward to more exciting games in the league and the classics in the Champions League. It remains to be seen how the teams will perform over the course of the season.