Farewell via Instagram: The last three years at full throttle "have been extremely demanding physically and mentally," writes Germany's volleyball player of the year, Louisa Lippmann: "Now I'll refrain from volleyball to become aware of a few things."

Achim Dreis

sports editor.

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Lippmann surprisingly ends her career at the age of 27.

The next bitter loss for German volleyball.

A day earlier, player Denise Imoudu had announced her withdrawal for private reasons.

162 times in the national team

Louisa Lippmann comes from Herford and played in the Bundesliga for USC Münster, Dresdner SC and SSC Schwerin.

On the diagonal position she had gradually smashed her way into the world class and did not shy away from going abroad.

The tall blonde has had engagements in Florence, Shanghai and Kaliningrad since 2018 and most recently with Savino Del Bene Scandicci in Italy.

In addition to four German championship titles, she also won the Russian championship once with Lokomotiv Kaliningrad.

The 1.91 meter tall athlete competed 162 times for the German national team.

In winter she was voted Germany's "Volleyball Player of the Year" for the fifth time in a row.

She "always gave everything and got a lot," she writes on Instagram when she says goodbye, but "unfortunately not the great successes I've always dreamed of."

At world championships, Lippmann only took ninth and eleventh place with the “butterflies”, as the German volleyball women call themselves.

She didn't make it to the Olympics.

"The national team and the dream of the Olympics have always been my reason for playing volleyball, my daily motivation," she explains.

Now her journey "after ups and downs is over for the time being".

Lippmann left open whether she will make a comeback.

Two years ago she competed in the sand - for a qualifying tournament for the German beach volleyball championships.

Her predecessor on the diagonal position of the national team, Margareta Kozuch, had a successful second career on the beach after her indoor career and made it to the quarterfinals of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

She is also currently taking a break from competition – the end is open.