VfB Suhl wins 2026 Zoi DVV Cup in front of record-breaking crowd
News
In securing a victory for the history books, VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen emerged this past weekend as the 2026 Zoi DVV women’s Cup winner. Head coach László Hollósy’s team prevailed in a dramatic match against Allianz MTV Stuttgart in front of 12,508 spectators in the sold-out SAP Arena in Mannheim with a score of 3-2 (25-17, 25-18, 15-25, 23-25, 15-13). For the Thuringian Wolves, who last won the title in 2008, this is the second cup victory in the club's history. Accordingly, emotions ran high after Roosa Laakkonen scored the final point.
In a highly exciting and competitive final, VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen made it clear from the outset that labels such as ‘favourite’ and ‘underdog’ were irrelevant in the SAP Arena. The Thuringians completely dominated Allianz MTV Stuttgart in the first two sets, until the latter made an equally impressive comeback in the third set. The vociferous fans of both teams witnessed a fourth set on equal terms, with Stuttgart coming out on top. The tie-break had to decide the outcome. At the end of an open exchange of blows, VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen was crowned the 2026 Zoi DVV Cup winner and was then duly celebrated in the fan curve.
This triumph ends a long title drought for Suhl. At the same time, it marks the end of a successful era in Mannheim for women's Volleyball in Germany, as the Zoi DVV Cup final will no longer be held in Mannheim from 2027 onwards.
Middle blocker Laura Berger was overwhelmed after the cup coup:
“It's just indescribable. I still cannot believe that we have won this cup here, in this incredible hall. With 12,000 spectators, it is the greatest thing ever. It is just unbelievable.”
As great as the jubilation was on the part of the Suhl team, the disappointment was just as great for Allianz MTV Stuttgart, especially for setter Pia Kästner: “The disappointment is great. It is difficult to find words right now. We got off to a very bad start, then came back really well and had the momentum on our side – and then it just was not enough.”
László Hollósy, coach of VfB Suhl LOTTO Thüringen, commented on his team’s fighting spirit: “We are the wolf pack and we never give up. We have shown time and again that we can fight hard and score impossible points. I simply have no words for this victory.”
Konstantin Bitter, coach of Allianz MTV Stuttgart, said of his team’s comeback: “At the beginning, I was very worried because we were very tense and could not relax on the court. With our backs against the wall, we threw everything we had into it and earned our comeback with this courage. Starting so bad and then coming back like that deserves all the respect in the world, even if we did not make it in the end.”
Following the women’s final, VBL Managing Director Daniel Sattler received the Sold-Out Award from SAP Managing Director Jens Reitmann – a first in the eleven-year history of the cup in Mannheim. Immediately afterwards, the Zoi DVV Cup final was officially handed over by Mannheim’s Lord Mayor Christian Specht to the City of Cologne, represented by the Head of the Department of Education, Youth and Sport, Robert Voigtsberger, and the LANXESS arena, which will be the new venue for Germany’s biggest Volleyball event from 2027. This was followed by the official start of ticket sales for the premiere on 27 February 2027.
Pictures courtesy of DVV / Kevin Mattig