Trailblazers sign German hitter Lili Palenczat

VINCENNES, Ind. – The four-time defending Region 24 Champion Vincennes University Trailblazers made another big addition to their 2025 recruiting class this past week, with the addition of six-foot tall outside hitter Lili Palenczat.

"We are always looking for front row players and as often as we can, we are also looking for players who can play good back row," VUVB Head Coach Gary Sien said. "Above all, we are looking for players who can play multiple positions. That's kind of our theme when we recruit and it can be at any position. Even the defensive specialist/liberos we have brought in this year are all former hitters."

"Specific to Lili, she's someone who can both hit and block well at all three positions," Sien added. "At the moment she is playing opposite for her club team in Germany. She also has quite a bit of experience playing in the middle as well. On top of that, she is another consistent and exceptional back row player who also plays Beach volleyball. The true volleyball players play Beach because there are just two players to a side, playing outside in the elements in the sun and wind, the sand itself. Your quickness has to be outstanding because you can go up to hit a ball and the wind can move it any number of ways. She is quite impressive with her experience as a player that has played both beach and indoor."

"Lili is another one that comes from a big volleyball family," Sien said. "Her sister has already played here in the states at an NAIA school. Her father has been a coach for a number of years and until recently coached both Lili and her sister. You can't go wrong when you have that kind of background. When you are brought up around the sport, it becomes second nature."

Palenczat comes to VU after closing out her club career with SV Karlsruhe-Beiertheim in Karlsruhe, Germany near the board of Germany and France, which plays in the Second League in Germany.

Palenczat was a part of several winning programs in Germany, winning over 20 Regional titles during her time with the U12 through U20 National teams and won the Rhineland-Palatinate and Southwest German Championship multiple times.

She was a regular participant in the German National Championships for both indoor and beach volleyball and most recently placed sixth in the 2024 German U20 Indoor Championships.

Palenczat's school teams also saw success, finishing fourth at the 2018 German School Championships and finishing Top 10 in the 2023 German School Championships.

Palenczat also brings a wealth of experience on the beach volleyball court, winning the State Championship at the U14, U16, U18 and U19 levels, while also holding a Top 10 finish at the National U18 Championships and Top 15 finish at the U20 National Championships.

Palenczat comes from a very solid volleyball background, with both of her parents, Eric and Bettina Palenczat, being volleyball coaches and having an older sister Luise who played one season at NAIA Westcliff University in California.

Palenczat will have some big shoes to fill in the front row for the Trailblazers next season as VU graduates several key pieces of their offense.

Palenczat is an excellent student and will graduate as Valedictorian of her graduating class at Hans-Purrmann-Gymnasium Speyer and plans to major in Information Technology at Vincennes University.

"Lili can play middle, which not every hitter can do," Sien said. "That's why we really love recruiting players that can play middle. But because of her ball control ability we would more likely like to see her on one of the pins. But I can only predict right now. It could be a different situation once you are able to get them all in the same gym."

"We have some needs everywhere," Sien added. "We are graduating well over 90 percent of last year's offense as well as over 90 percent of blocking. So we are not only trying to go out and recruit the numbers but recruit the individuals that can hopefully help fill more than one position out there. The best way I can put it is, you are looking at potential, as we look at every individual we are looking at their potential within the program and within our system. Where they will fit. If you look at our sophomores this past season, I recruited all three of our international sophomores as middles because they had played middle their whole life. But we were able to fit them into different positions out there with training and coaching. When you have that athletic potential, that's what you can get. You can just about put them anywhere as long as you teach them right and help them along because it is obviously going to be new to them. But when you have that athletic potential, like those sophomores did, it is a very short timetable to get them adjusted."

"Anyone who signs Lili will get a player who lives volleyball 100 percent," Palenczat's Club Coach Sebastian Kaschub said. "She is very hardworking and reliable. Above all, she enjoys the sport immensely and she passes this on to her teammates. Her power in attack and her ball control give her many options in attack. She is technically well on her way to becoming a very complete player in receiving and defense. Lili is already very advanced at her young age and will bring a lot of joy to her new college."

The Vincennes University Athletic Department is excited to welcome Lili Palenczat to the 2025 Trailblazer recruiting class.