The VBL Supercup ended in dramatic fashion on Monday night as Berlin Recycling Volleys came from behind to beat Giesen 3-2 in a five-set thriller. In a match that swung one way and then the other, the visitors found the extra gear in the deciding tiebreak, closing out the contest 15-11 to lift the trophy and strike an early psychological blow at the start of the new season.

For Giesen, it was a night of what-might-have-been. The home side matched their star-studded opponents blow for blow across four sets, produced some of the best volleyball of the evening in front of their own crowd, and even forced a decider after trailing 2-1. But when the match narrowed to a single set to fifteen points, Berlin's experience and depth of options at the net told the story.

Match overview

The VBL Supercup pits the reigning Bundesliga champions against the DVV-Pokal winners in a single winner-takes-all fixture, and this edition delivered exactly the kind of high-tempo, high-stakes volleyball the format was designed to produce. Both teams opened with close-to-full-strength line-ups, and the early exchanges suggested a long night was in store: Giesen served aggressively to disrupt Berlin's reception, while the visitors leaned on their physicality at the net and their quality in transition.

• Competition: VBL Supercup
• Fixture: Giesen vs Berlin Recycling Volleys
• Final score: Giesen 2-3 Berlin Recycling Volleys
• Set scores: 25-22, 23-25, 21-25, 25-19, 11-15

Set-by-set story

Set 1 – Giesen 25-22. The home side made the brighter start, settling quickly in front of a vocal crowd and finding rhythm through their serve-and-block game. Berlin looked slightly heavy-legged in the opening exchanges, conceding a run of points in the middle of the set, and Giesen closed it out with composure.

Set 2 – Berlin 25-23. The visitors responded exactly as champions tend to: sharper service pressure, better first-ball side-out efficiency, and a couple of crucial blocks down the stretch. It was the tightest set of the night, decided by a two-point burst at 23-23.

Set 3 – Berlin 25-21. Berlin's momentum carried over. Their block began to read Giesen's attack more effectively, and with the middle hitters getting involved early, the visitors built a cushion they never surrendered. Giesen's error count crept up as they chased the set.

Set 4 – Giesen 25-19. Facing the prospect of a routine defeat, Giesen produced their best volleyball of the match. Aggressive serving forced Berlin into predictable attacking patterns, and the home block rewarded the strategy with a string of stuff blocks. The tiebreak suddenly looked inevitable.

Set 5 – Berlin 15-11. The decider was decided by small margins and big moments. Berlin edged ahead early at the change of ends and then leaned on their serving to keep Giesen out of system. A pair of clutch points at the net in the closing stages sealed the trophy.

Tactical talking points

The match was effectively a battle between Giesen's serve-and-block pressure and Berlin's superior variety in attack. For long stretches the home side's game plan worked: by serving flat and deep they limited Berlin's ability to involve the middles, pushing the visitors into more predictable high-ball situations on the wings.

What changed in the fifth set was Berlin's reception discipline. With their first contact steadier, the setter could once again use the full width of the court, opening one-on-one situations for the outside hitters and creating space in the middle. Giesen, by contrast, became slightly more conservative from the service line at the worst possible moment, allowing Berlin to build the small lead that proved decisive.

Standout performers

• Berlin's opposite hitter carried the heaviest attacking load and delivered in the tight moments, particularly in the tiebreak.
• Berlin's middle blockers grew into the match after a slow start, shifting the block-read battle in the visitors' favour across sets three and five.
• Giesen's outside hitters were the engine of the home performance, combining for a high volume of swings and keeping the team alive in the fourth set.
• Both liberos produced highlight-reel defence, extending rallies that had no business continuing.

What it means for the season

The Supercup is a single match, but its value is rarely just symbolic. For Berlin Recycling Volleys, lifting the trophy confirms that the squad's depth is where it needs to be heading into the Bundesliga campaign and offers early reassurance that the