VC Wiesbaden - 1st Bundesliga
The VCW volleyball players will once again be playing in the 1st Bundesliga in the 2025/26 season. After the end of the "old" season, planning for the new round is underway. Only libera Sain is staying in Wiesbaden, with three new additions confirmed so far.
Tanja Großer leaves Wiesbaden, three players end their careers and only Sain remains
The 2024/25 season is over for the VCW - as it is for USC Münster, Ladies in Black Aachen and Potsdam - and the teams are tied in fifth place. The fans in the Wiesbaden arena on Platz der Deutschen Einheit witnessed a remarkable final act: Outside attacker Tanja Großer delivered one of the best performances of her career. She took on responsibility, outwitted the DSC defense time and again (19 points!) and was then deservedly named MVP in silver (gold: Slovenian Lorena Lorber Fijok; 19 points). And now she is leaving the VCW after 13 years and moving abroad. Three deserving VCW athletes ended their professional careers with this game: VCW captain Nina Wienand Herelová, Jonna Wasserfaller and Olivia Rusek also said goodbye to the VCW.
In the meantime, the squad planning for next season has taken on far greater proportions than previously believed. As the club announced, the squad will be completely reorganized with the exception of one position. Only regular Libera and crowd favorite René Sain will remain with the VCW; the 27-year-old's contract runs until 2026. All of the other eleven positions in the squad will have to be filled.
Three new additions have been confirmed so far
VC Wiesbaden has signed the next promising talent. Pleun van der Pijl is 22 years old and is moving from the Italian Serie A1 team Eurotek UYBA Volley Busto Arsizio to the Hessian state capital. The 1.96-meter tall Dutch international is set to score at outside hitter for the VCW in the women's 1st Volleyball Bundesliga in the 2025/2026 season. Following the additions of Cayetana López Rey (Spain) and middle blocker Marlene Rieger, three new additions have now been confirmed.
Provisional VCW squad for the 2025/2026 season
- Outside attack: Pleun van der Pijl (Netherlands)
- Cayetana López Rey (Spain)
- Middle block: Marlene Rieger
- Libera: Rene Sain (Croatia)
Playoff quarterfinals - out after two games against Dresden
The chances were there, but in the end it was the same as always: For the fourth time in a row, the VCW lost out to Dresdner SC in the play-offs for the German championship in the Women's Volleyball Bundesliga 1, losing the second match 3:1 in the best-of-3 format. This marks the end of the 2024/25 season for the VCW. Nevertheless, the Hessian athletes left their home arena at Platz der Deutschen Einheit with their heads held high, as they had played a strong match over long stretches and showed character. However, the Wiesbaden team only managed to win the first set 1:3 (25:23, 16:25, 19:25, 19:25) and will now go into the break before the new season can begin in the fall.
The first leg in Dresden ended with an expected 3:1 defeat (24:26, 13:25, 25:23, 13:25). Although the VCW women of head coach Tigin Yağlioğlu were able to keep up in the first and third sets, the Saxon side clearly showed the Hessians their limits in the second and fourth rounds.