Hat Trick!!!

Halle, March 6 - Generali Haching needed a sign that they can overcome their rivals in a final.  And on Sunday afternoon they did, and did so in dramatic style.

Haching won their third consecutive DVV Cup with a pulsating 3-2 score (25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 20-25, 20-18) over VfB Friedsrichshafen in front of 9,600 fans at Gerry Weber Stadium.  The match took 2 hours 16 minutes and went the distance.  Haching overcame two match points in the tie break 5th set.

"We were good two sets, Friedsrichshafen also for two but in the end we had a bit more luck," said Haching head coach Mihai Paduretu.  "There was super atmosphere and it was a super show, the match was played at a level worth of the Champions League."

Leading the way for the Bavarians was Paul Carroll with 23 points.  Captain Max Günthör and Robert Hupka both added 12 points.  Carroll scored the winning point and was voted the MVP of the match.

Generali Haching first won the German Volleyball Association domestic cup back in 2009, beating Friedsrichshafen 3-1 in the semifinals and Moerser SC  also 3-1 in the final.  Last year, Haching came back from 2-0 down to beat evivo düren 3-2 in front of 10,200 fans.

Haching will now take the knowledge that they can beat VfB in a final into these year's league playoffs, where they have lost to Friedsrichshafen five consecutive times.  We won't have to wait till next month to see these two teams battle each other.  Next Saturday the two clubs that lead the Volleyball Bundesliga will play in the Bodensee to decide playoff seeding.  Let's hope they meet again in the final for a classic rematch.