German U18 boys secure European Championship spot
News
The German U18 men’s national team has secured their spot in the #EuroVolleyU18M Final Round due to take place later this summer in Italy. In the second round qualifier held from 26 to 28 March at the sports hall of the Carl-von-Weinberg-Schule in Frankfurt, the team led by national coach Dominic von Känel confidently claimed top spot in their group with three wins from three matches, thereby securing their place at the European Championship.
The team had already laid the foundations for success in the run-up to the tournament: for two weeks, national coach Dominic von Känel’s squad underwent targeted preparation for the European qualifier in Frankfurt. In friendly matches against Czechia and France, the German squad gained valuable match practice and further developed their game. The team went into the tournament with corresponding confidence – with the clear aim of securing their place at the European Championship.
In Pool A, Germany faced Portugal, Sweden and Türkiye – and showed strong progress throughout the tournament. In front of a home crowd that created an outstanding atmosphere, the team grew in confidence from match to match.
In Pool A, Germany faced Portugal, Sweden and Türkiye – and showed strong progress throughout the tournament. In front of a home crowd that created an outstanding atmosphere, the team grew in confidence from match to match.
In their opening match on Thursday, the hosts defeated Portugal 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 25-18). This was followed on Friday by a 3-1 victory (19-25, 25-16, 25-15, 25-22) against Sweden, before securing their third win in the decisive match against Türkiye on Saturday. After losing the first set, Germany turned the match around and won 3-1 (22-25, 25-21, 25-18, 25-20).
Head coach Dominic von Känel expressed his satisfaction after the tournament victory:
“In the end, it was really strong. We did take a while to get into each match, but then we played some very good Volleyball. The progress we have made since November 2024 is particularly pleasing. Last year we hardly won anything – now we are moving forward step by step. I am really looking forward to the European Championship in Italy.”
Captain Jascha Gräfe highlighted the special atmosphere: “The emotions with the German fans were incredible. The hall was packed; the support really spurred us on. At some point, we just stopped overthinking and stuck to our game plan – and in the end, it paid off. I am very proud of the team for winning all three matches.”
A key to success was the home side’s ability to stage comebacks, as Luk Hansen emphasised: “We never got off to a good start, but we managed to fight back and turn the matches around every time.”