“It’s going in the right direction”

With a win in Amstetten, the UVC McDonald’s Ried volleyball team secured a place in the quarter-finals of the local volleyball league today. The self-confidence of the Innviertler is great after the clear 3-0 home win over the Lower Austrians a week ago. “It was sensational, it surprised us all,” enthuses Roman Lutz, Ried’s sporting director, for days afterwards.

Around the first game of the “Best of 3” quarter-final series, a sponsor for this year’s final series was presented with the energy specialist Power Fusion. According to Lutz, this should act as a league sponsor in the coming years. However, details still need to be clarified.

This could fulfill one of the central wishes, because of which several clubs joined forces in the previous season and spun off the men’s league from the association.

The inaugural season of the newly created Austrian Volleyball Bundesliga (ÖVL) is now on the home straight: did the spin-off bring anything? “The increased awareness and presence in social media is certainly noticeable,” says Lutz, referring to the new “Fantasy Volleyball”. This is an online game format that has grown big in US sports, which increases interest in the league by incorporating current player statistics. “It’s going in the right direction,” explains Lutz.

He had actually hoped for a league sponsor at the beginning of this season, which is now finally ante portas. “We don’t demand a flow of money to the clubs because we first have to invest in the marketing of the league. Everyone agrees that we shouldn’t give the clubs candy now,” says Lutz.

Operating costs doubled

Although Ried would urgently need financial support. The energy cost explosion hit the UVC hard because of the gas-heated volleydome. Lutz speaks of a doubling of the operating costs to around 65,000 euros per year. Since the hall was put into operation after January 1, 2021, the club is looking through their fingers when it comes to the energy cost subsidy. “I hope that we can find a solution,” said Lutz.

Andreas Andretsch does not rate the spin-off of the men’s league as positively. “I currently see zero added value. As it has now been communicated, the ÖVL is no better or worse than the association,” says the manager of women’s champions Oberbank Steelvolleys Linz-Steg, whose league is still handled by the association (ÖVV). . The defending champions can secure a place in the semifinals against Bisamberg-Hollabrunn (5 p.m.) today. “Nothing can go wrong there,” Andretsch is certain.