The Berlin Volleys had already played six times this season against SVG Lüneburg – the Lower Saxony went three times as the winner from the hall
Photo: Imago/Anton Hoefel
Mr. Knigge, what is better, the proximity to the beach in Las Palmas, the Kleinstadtdidylle in Lüneburg or the pulsating Berlin?
I would say Berlin is definitely number one, now that it is a little sunnier and warmer. The beach in Las Palmas is probably number two, although in December and January it was already quite cold and dark in Berlin. Then the small town life in Lüneburg is in third place. But to be honest, I enjoyed my time in all these places.
You switched to Lüneburg to Lüneburg before last season from the Spanish club CV Guaguas, who plays on Gran Canaria. The current season continued to Berlin. This is a very nice trip in three years.
I think that is part of life as a professional volleyball player. In recent years I have only been to Las Palmas for seven months, then four in Orange County south of Los Angeles, where I live in summer and also train with the national team of the USA. Then it was in Lüneburg for six months and four months in LA. Now it will be eight months in Berlin and then it will go back to California for four months in summer.
And how have you settled in in Berlin?
I studied at a very liberal university in the United States (Vassar College, editor), which has produced many impressive scientists, but also activists for civil and women’s rights- people who passionately fight what they find right. At the same time, it was a place where everyone had the freedom to be able to be what they want to be. This is a delicate point in the United States, especially under the current political conditions, because many people do not feel that they can develop freely. But here in Berlin I have this feeling again. I think Berlin is known in Germany and also in Europe that people find a safe space here where they can find out who they want to be.
Despite her switching to Berlin, Lüneburg was still very present this season. They had a total of six duels with their ex-club, which was particularly bitter in the Champions League. Now there is a chance for the revenge.
After leaving the Champions League, we still have an open bill with Lüneburg. Although their success personally feels a little like my success for me because I was part of their development last season. If we don’t play against each other, I only wish you the best because I am also happy for my former teammates. But if we meet, then you have to forget it and switch off this part of the head. Then it’s all about winning them, as quickly and clearly as possible.
Interview
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Matthew Knigge owes his last name to his German great -grandparents. After completing his studies, the American started his professional career at German second division club FC Schüttorf. The now 28-year-old has been playing with the volleys since the 2024/25 season.
Why was Lüneburg such a heavy opponent for the volleys this season?
Of course they are talented. They hit the ball hard, have a good height and know how to play volleyball. But what makes her really successful is her team spirit, who is exemplified by her coach Stefan Hübner and the players who have been there for a long time, like Gage Worsley, Xander Ketrzynski, but also young players like Theo Mohwinkel. Your trainer gives you a lot of freedom and you can very well create a positive energy on the field that helps you not be pulled down too much by mistakes and setbacks.
How do you beat such a team?
We won the first three games against Lüneburg very clearly (3-0 in the league cup, 3: 1 in the cup and 3: 0 in the first leg in the Bundesliga, editor’s note). That’s why we know what we are able to do. The duels we lost were all incredibly tight. One or two points of victory or defeat decided. That’s why we don’t have to reinvent the wheel completely because we did a lot in these games too.
And experience also speaks for the volleys …
Our players played several hundred games at the highest level in the playoffs, the Champions League and in the national team. Lüneburg has a very talented team that was very successful this season, but we have the players who know what a championship final feels. If you go to the serve in a crucial situation, it can sometimes feel overwhelming if 6,000 pairs of eyes only look at you. We have the players who know how to deal with such a situation.
You have already addressed the situation in your home country. How do you follow what happens in the USA?
Actually, I am currently trying to keep myself away from messages. But I still see it because friends and former comilitons share their opinion or protest on social media. That is why a ten-minute break on Instagram is enough to get away from what is going on at home.
Is it even easier to be far from the USA?
Sometimes it is easier to be able to say: “These are not my problems today”. But in three weeks I will fly to the USA and then it will be my problems very quickly. That’s why I am concerned with the situation there when I’m not at home. And just because I’m not there is that it doesn’t mean that there are no problems for friends, for my family and for people who I would actually like to defend and support in times like this.
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How do you manage to stay relaxed in the decisive phase of the season?
I think that’s one of the great advantages when you live in Berlin. Because it is so easy when we free to roam the city and find something that is fun. But it also helps me that it was not my plan for a long time to “only” play volleyball. I started as a professional because I didn’t get a job offer in Ukraine, which in retrospect might be better. I went abroad because it was an adventure not to live in the USA for a while. In the course of my career, my goals have changed. But I’m still the same person. That is why it is always about staying true to myself while I try to continue to be successful as a volleyball player. I have had the experience that the best way through a difficult phase is not to withdraw into something familiar, but to go out of your own comfort zone and try something new. That’s why I really enjoy playing abroad and here in Berlin.
And what are your personal goals for the final series?
It is always very easy in professional sport to compare yourself with everyone around you. Who is best to attack, who is best upset, who is best blocked? But if you want to be honest with yourself, you can only compare yourself with yourself. That’s why this season is a success for me if I can say that I am a better player at the end than I was eight months ago. Of course, a championship title would be an indication of this. But it is not really a proof of whether I have improved as an individual. It is just meant that my team was better than your team that day. So if I really want to be sincere with myself whether I got better this season, I can only compare myself with myself.