Heynen ready to guide Germany women's team

After years of success in coaching men’s volleyball, Vital Heynen is about to take on a new challenge. The 52-year-old Belgian specialist was announced as the new head coach of the German women’s national team. At the same time, DVV, the German national federation, also announced the extension of Italian Andrea Gianni’s tenure as the head coach of their men’s national team.

DVV hired Heynen on a three-year contract. He is to replace Felix Koslowski who steered the German ladies in the past six seasons. Heynen’s first big competition in the new role will be the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Nations League starting on May 31. He will then lead his new squad at the FIVB Volleyball World Championship Netherlands-Poland 2022 between September 23 and October 15 of this year.

“I have three daughters, about the age of my future national team players, and I coached the Belgian women in beach volleyball many years ago. But that's all the experience I can show,” Heynen joked.

“Volleyball is still volleyball, whether it's men or women. In my opinion, they differ only slightly. In the past I've managed to form teams out of many male individual players. That's exactly what I want to achieve with women. I said a few years ago that I would be interested in coaching a women's team and I'm happy to have this opportunity now. That means a lot to me. The top priority for me in this first year is that we form a unit from the players and the entire staff, above all a team that enjoys working together on the court. If I succeed, the results will follow automatically. My goal is that at the end of the year all German players want to play in the national team, that the desire and primary motivation is to be part of the team... If I can do that, I'll be satisfied. It's going to be an exciting year and I'm ready for this challenge,” he added.

Heynen was at the helm of the German men’s national team from 2012 to 2016 leading them to a 2014 World Championship bronze and a European Games 2015 gold. The former setter of Noliko Maaseik steered the men’s national team of his native Belgium to the EuroVolley 2017 semifinals, before taking over Poland in 2018 and winning the 2018 World Championship title, the 2019 FIVB World Cup silver, two VNL medals and two European Championship podiums. He has claimed numerous trophies and medals at continental and national club competitions mentoring teams from Belgium, Turkey, Poland, France, Germany, and most recently, Sir Safety Conad Perugia of Italy.

Quick links:
FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2022
FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship Netherlands-Poland 2022
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