Just four teams remain in the Women’s Volleyball DVV Pokal as some thrilling quarter-final matches took place over the weekend. Here we’ll take you through the results – zooming in on the pick of the action – before setting out the semi-final draw.

Munster win at Wiesbaden

Munster were the team with the worst record heading into this game; they’re current sat in eighth place in the Bundesliga. They had lost four out of their last five matches; their win at Potsdam ending a run of four straight defeats in the league. The cup therefore offered them refuge, as they took on a Wiesbaden side who were made to work for their quarter-final place in the last round. They were swept aside by Munster in straight sets (19-25, 19-25, 22-25).

Leaders Stuttgart dominate Straubing

Bundesliga leaders Stuttgart continued their domestic campaign with yet another win, beating Straubing comfortably in straight sets (25-18, 25-18, 25-18). The leaders are undefeated in the league, having dropped just five sets all season. In fact, the undeniable favourites for the Bundesliga and Pokal have not lost a game since April this year. They will be fiercely difficult to stop winning this competition.

Potsdam sail into semi-finals

Arguably the only other team capable of stopping Stuttgart in their tracks this year are Potsdam, who won in straight sets against Vilsbiburg (25-22, 25-13, 28-26) – despite needing a tie-breaker to win the third decisive set. Potsdam will be pleased to have bounced back from their first defeat of the season – a 3-2 thriller against Munster.

Game of the weekend: Suhl and Dresden play out five-set thriller

A five-set showstopper between Suhl and Dresden was comfortably the pick of the weekend’s quarter-final games. Dresden edged out a dogged and determined Suhl side in a decisive fifth set to win the match and head into the semi-finals.

The first two sets were evenly contested – Suhl taking the first 25-27 before Dresden responded by taking the second 27-25. The third set was less even: Suhl running away with the set 25-13, with an ease that they would not find for the rest of the game. They led for the entirety of the third set, making less unforced errors and winning more video challenges than their opponents.

Dresden did well to respond though, recovering from their drop in form to win the fourth set 21-25. The fifth and final tie-breaker set was close, but Dresden did just enough to get over the line and take the game – winning 14-16. They can thank their victory in large part to Maja Storck, who scored 34 points, including 10 breakpoints. She rightfully took the MVP award for her side.

Semi-final showdown

The semi-final draw is as intriguing as it possibly could be, with a potentially mouth-watering final between Stuttgart and Potsdam still a strong possibility. Potsdam v Dresden will be played on the 18th of December, whilst Munster v Stuttgart will go ahead on the 21st.

#missionmannheim 🏆🏐🔥 Endspurt! Diese Halbfinalpartien stehen im Dezember an. Euer Favorit?#volleyball #pokal @VOLLEYBALL_BL pic.twitter.com/Wllkq6xVbG

— Deutscher Volleyball-Verband (@DVV_Volleyball) November 28, 2021