The U20 World Championships in Mexico will be a very important tournament for new head coach Han Abbing and his team, which won the Youth European Championship in 2007.

The team had no time for special preparations due to the fact that most of the players play for teams in the German Bundesliga, which finished on May 2.

Most of the players belong to Zurich Team VC Olympia Berlin, however, which is a team made up of Junior National Team members. Their participation in the Bundesliga on the same squad means they should be very familiar with each other and in good shape to play in Mexico.

Other players on Bundesliga teams outside of Berlin are Lenka Dürr (Rote Raben Vilsbiburg) and Berit Kauffeldt (Schweriner SC). Setter Lena Möllers, meanwhile, has already played some games with the Senior Women's National Team.

German Junior´s (w) national coach Johan Henk (Han) Abbing

Personals:

Date of birth: January 7, 1961

Place of birth: Emmen, Netherlands

Martial status: unmarried

Occupation: Trainer

Hobbies: History, Cinema, Reading

Coach Career summary:

1988 – 1989: player-coach

1992 – 1994: Coach Men’s 2^nd Bundesliga (2^nd division)

1993 – 1994: Coach of Van Calcar/Lycurgus 2, women’s 2^nd Bundesliga (2^nd division)

1995 – 1997: Coach of the Dutch girls’ volleyball school

1995 – 1998: Head coach in the women’s Dutch Bundesliga

1997 – 2004: Assistant coach and scout of the Dutch women’s national team / Coach (and Assistant coach) of the women’s junior national team and girls’ youth national teams of the Netherlands

2004 – 2008: Head Coach VfB Suhl

Since 2008: National coach of the women’s junior team with domicile at the federal sports centre in Berlin

Achievements

2001 5th place European Championship

2002 9th place World Championship

2003 4th place European Championship

2007 3rd place German Championship

2008 German Cup-Winner

The Dutchmen Han Abbing has only been responsible National coach for the juniors since 2008. Before that, he was very successful with Suhl in the German 1^st division, won the German cup for example. With the juniors, he continued his successful work: with the national team he won eleven matches in the 1^st Bundesliga – the girls’ junior national team participated in the league with a special permit.

And the World Championship Qualification in the Ukraine simply was performance of duty: Against Spain and the Ukraine the team succeeded without losing one single set and are now looking forward to the final round in Mexico. There, Abbing will have to get along without one of his best players: Opposite player Saskia Hippe is already such a valuable player that she will play the World Cup Qualification with the senior national team.