Germany's Bjorn Andrae and Marcus Popp on the defensive
Germany
vs
Australia
3
-
1
Germany got their Pool B campaign off to a rousing start when they beat Australia 3-1 in the FIVB Volleyball World Championship for Men in Fukuoka on Friday.
Both teams were looking at this match as their best chance for victory and it was the Germans who overcame a first-set scare to emerge hard-fought 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 30-28 winnners.
Germany hadn't qualified for the world championship in more than a decade while the Aussies are looking to advance from the first round for the first time in four attempts.
The Germans have enhanced their chances with just one more victory probably enough to take them to the next round in Hiroshima.
Australia were on top for the initial exchanges, looking like they may run away with the set when they took a 10-7 lead.
The Germans fought back to 11-12 and Frank Dehne's block tied it at 12-12. They then went ahead after Paul Carroll's spike sailed long.
But it was Australia who took the edge into the second time out when Daniel Howard made a crucial block to give his team a 16-14 advantage.
Carroll was deadly on the right side for Australia when provided with the service and it was his spike that gave Australia a three-point lead at 18-15.
Marcus Popp, Norbert Walter and Jochen Schops provided the Germans with some high points but Australia completed a dominant first-set display when a tip-over caused confusion in the Germany ranks.
Two delicate tips from Schops and a Stefan Hubner block put Germany in charge of the early part of the second set at 6-2 and Hubner's wicked serve helped his team go into the first time out with a solid 8-3 lead.
Carroll was missing on the right for Australia until his first winning spike of the set when his team were 3-10 down.
But the Aussies realised that they should bring him in more as he earned them three more points, though the Germans were still on top with Schops giving them a 16-10 lead.
Howard chipped in with two big spikes to bring Australia to within 14-18 and then Carroll and Luke Campbell took them to 16-19.
However, Germany had to survive some tense moments before Popp finally secured the set and levelled the match at one apiece.
Carroll was still the best attacker at the end of the second set, leading both teams with 11 winners with Popp second on nine.
It was close at the start of the third set with lefty Carroll continuing to collect points but Germany putting up a good defence.
Left-handed Simon Tischer's snap spike gave Germany an 8-7 lead at the first time out after his team came back from 7-5 down.
Germany then enjoyed a period of domination, not allowing the Aussies the chance to attack as they built a 16-10 lead.
They increased it to 20-13 with Popp and Schops taking turns to send down winners. Australia staged a mini-revival and battled back to trail 20-23 before a disputed call gave Germany set point.
Hubner hit the key spike to give the Germans the third set.
Australia had found an excellent spiking partner for Carroll with Russian-born youngster Igor Yudin getting all his team's first three points from the left.
But that didn't stop the Germans taking an 8-5 lead with the Aussies suffering in defence.
Germany then lost their way a bit, letting Australia come back to 10-10 from 10-7 down. The teams exchanged one-point leads until 15-13 to Germany, who went into the second time out 16-13 up.
Carroll brought the Aussies to within 17-19 and then Yudin's brilliant work on the left reduced the deficit to 20-21.
It was 23-22 to Germany when their coach Stelian Moculescu called his final time-out but Australia levelled it with a great block.
Germany squandered four match points before finally putting the Aussies away.
