TI won the triple

Six reasons for the girls’ volleyball miracle

The first championship title in TI history was the best end to a fabulous season: the women went from underdogs to winners of a treble. The "Krone" shows how it all came about.

The party bus with the Triple Girls slowed down in Innsbruck at 3.45 a.m. on Tuesday morning. TI boss Much Falkner then sent the squad home with the championship trophy. Which they all did. Of course...

The day of the party
The big party, after all, only takes place on the public holiday. At Cafe Waagriss near the WIFI, which always provides the catering for home games.

Unbelievable - that was the most frequently used word on Monday evening. The rise from underdogs to three titles (champions, cup winners, super cup winners), the final series and the last point were unbelievable.

Tina Plattner, the soon-to-be 30-year-old setter who will end her career, played the ball for captain Martyna Walter in her final action to complete the treble. "Is there anything more beautiful?" the two asked each other. Kitschy. "Like in a fairy tale," stammered Falkner.

Six reasons for success
The six pillars of the Innsbruck girls' miracle:

The maker Much Falkner (62): Has worked for the TI for 38 years. An obsessive. An example? This year his apartment burned down completely - he went to a volleyball match.

An incredible success. Champions for the first time after 26 years in the Bundesliga. It's like a fairy tale.

TI-Macher Much Falkner

The coach Rogelio Hernandez (55): The Cuban came back to Innsbruck six years ago. "The success is the result of hard work. I am proud," he said.

Captain Martyna Walter (26): The social media expert suffered an ankle injury last summer _ she was back at full strength in the final phase of the season. 

The legionnaires Marie Nevot (23) and Rozalie Hnatysyn (23): The Frenchwoman is now moving to the big volleyball world, but the Polish player has already extended her contract with TI.

The libera Eva Stabentheiner (25): Born in Vienna, she was - as boss Falkner puts it - "the rock in the surf". Sounds very Tyrolean.

The team spirit: The squad went through thick and thin together, stuck together like pitch and brimstone. Or as the coach put it: "These girls are amazing."