The BVB women's handball team have exacted revenge on Buxtehuder SV for their defeat in the DHB Cup Round of 16. The Black & Yellows ran out 28-21 (12-12) winners against BSV in a close Bundesliga encounter on Friday evening.

The start of the game was characterised by possession losses and nervousness on both sides. Isabell Roch initially made two strong saves, but the Black & Yellows could not make an impact going forward in the opening minutes. Instead, it was Buxtehuder SV who took a 1-0 lead on the three-minute mark, before Johanna Stockschläder equalised for BVB with a goal from the left directly afterwards. Additional goals from Kelly Dulfer and Inger Smits (two) made it 4-1 after nine minutes, prompting BSV coach Dirk Leun to call his first time-out.

The BVB rearguard continued to stand firm, and it was only after 10 minutes that Dortmund conceded again to make the score 5-2. However, coach André Fuhr's team initially struggled up front. On the 15-minute mark, the BVB boss sent Dana Bleckmann and Clara Monti Danielsson onto the court. The Swede's introduction immediately resulted in a seven-metre throw and a time penalty for Buxtehude. Inger Smits converted the throw to make it 7-5 on 18 minutes.

The Black & Yellows primarily had the saves of Isabell Roch to thank for the 10-8 lead they held with five minutes of the opening half remaining. Up front, the Borussia ladies were denied time and time again by the BSV keeper or the woodwork. The home side took full advantage and restored parity at 10-10 in the 26th minute, and the sides were locked at 12-12 by the time the whistle sounded.

Kelly Vollebregt opens the scoring

The second period started inconspicuously for the Dortmund ladies, who lost possession with their first attack and had a time penalty imposed on Tessa van Zijl. The Black & Yellows did not concede a goal while a player down, but they did make too many errors in the ensuing minutes and conceded twice as Buxtehude took a 14-12 lead (34). Alina Grijseels missed an opportunity to pull a goal back from the seven-metre line.

Buxtehude maintained a narrow lead in the opening 10 minutes of the second period, prompting André Fuhr to react and switch up the defence: Kelly Dulfer was given the task of disrupting the hosts early as the frontwoman in a 5-1 formation. And the switch quickly bore fruit as BVB went back in front thanks to some fast play and above all the goals of Johanna Stockschläder. The left winger scored on the 45-minute mark to make the score 21-16 and complete the turnaround for the Black & Yellows, who were seven goals ahead with 10 minutes to go (25-18).

Buxtehude launched a temporary fightback to close the deficit to five goals, but Isabell Roch made an important save from a seven-metre throw with the score at 25-20 and then stopped a throw from the back area in the direct aftermath (56). It was a match-deciding moment, and the Dortmund ladies pulled away into a 28-21 lead by the final whistle.

BVB had lost out to Buxtehuder SV in the DHB Cup last November, suffering elimination after a narrow 26-25 defeat. But there have been no such slip-ups in the league and the Black & Yellows remain firmly in control at the top of the table with a flawless points tally of 36-0. BVB coach André Fuhr and his side are next in action next Friday evening when they travel away to TuS Metzingen in the Bundesliga.

BVB women's handball team: Duijndam, Roch, ten Holte; Grijseels (4/1), van der Heijden (4), van Zijl, Smits (6), Abdulla (2/2), Stockschläder (7), Freriks, Dulfer (1), Rode, Bleckmann (1), Vollebregt (1), Monti Danielsson (2)