Moritz Karlitzek: Sports instead of studies

He finds peace while fishing and rejects social media: Moritz Karlitzek is considered one of the best German volleyball players – probably also because he decided against pursuing a dual career.

Sitting alone by the water for hours and winding down. From all the hustle and bustle. From the noise in the hall. Moritz Karlitzek draws strength from nature while fishing. “It’s like meditation for me,” he says. Karlitzek, 28, has achieved what many young volleyball players dream of: the outside hitter now plays in Poland, is one of the best German volleyball players and competed in the Olympics. He decided against the security of a university degree and instead put everything into his volleyball career – a gamble that paid off. In an interview in December 2024, Karlitzek talked about himself and his risky path.

His passion for volleyball began after attending a first division match in Eltmann. Moritz Karlitzek soon joined his local club, TV/DJK Hammelburg. At the age of 15, he began training with VSG Coburg/Grub on the side, and by the eleventh grade, an exchange and promise had been made between the two clubs that he could go to Coburg after graduating from high school, provided they were promoted to the first Bundesliga.

When the promotion was secured, Karlitzek knew he wanted to play, not sit on the bench. At the age of 18, he was a regular player in his first Bundesliga season. His good performances quickly gained recognition. “How can someone so young be so good and so cool-headed?” said his former teammate Dirk Mehlberg about his first duel with Karlitzek.

Despite his sporting success, something was missing. He moved to Rottenburg and began studying sports science in Tübingen while continuing to play in the Bundesliga. “The organization was great. The university was very supportive, and training times were adjusted so that we could attend classes.” But balancing his studies and competitive sports was challenging. Looking back, he says, “I have no idea how I did it back then, but it was all possible.” University life provided a balance to volleyball. Whether it was a Zumba or yoga class, he simply enjoyed meeting new people his own age. “It was finally a bit of a more normal life alongside the daily training routine,” says Karlitzek.

Leap into the national team

In 2016, he was called up to the national team and suddenly found himself training with players such as Lukas Kampa and Georg Grozer. “It was crazy,” says Karlitzek. A year later, he celebrated one of the greatest successes in German volleyball history with the team: silver at the 2017 European Championships.

For Moritz Karlitzek, volleyball is his life and his studies are his sanity, and he knows that you have to prepare for life after volleyball. Nevertheless, in order to reach his full potential in the sport, he gave up his studies in Tübingen. “I didn’t really think about my studies,” says Karlitzek. This was followed by a move to league rivals United Volleys Frankfurt. A new challenge awaited him there: his studies became a secondary concern. “It was a short break from my studies,” says Karlitzek, looking back. “The circumstances simply didn’t allow for it.”

Two years later, without a bachelor’s degree, Karlitzek nevertheless ventured abroad. After stops in Italy and France, he finally landed in one of the strongest leagues in the world, in Poland. But Karlitzek didn’t want to be completely unprepared. The opportunity arose to study remotely, for which he studied on the side.

Even though Karlitzek takes a critical view of his own path and recommends a dual career to young athletes based on his experiences as a student in Tübingen, he says without hesitation: “I would do it all again exactly the same way.” Nevertheless, he believes it is important to consider an alternative in order to be prepared. He is realistic and knows that it is very difficult to make a living in volleyball. “We’re not soccer players; we can’t expect to have $20 million in the bank after our careers.” However, his focus is currently elsewhere: Karlitzek became a father three months ago. Studying is therefore out of the question at the moment.

Jumping power to the Olympics

His qualities are obvious: “Moritz makes few mistakes, even in pressure situations,” says his former teammate Willy Belizer. He compensates for his comparatively short height of 1.91 meters with enormous jumping power. Karlitzek describes himself as “ambitious, determined, maybe even perfectionist.” He made it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he reached the quarterfinals with Germany.

“I’m glad I don’t have to be someone else in this world.”

Karlitzek does not flaunt his success. You won’t find him on social media. “I don’t feel like doing that.” Even though social media can be a lucrative source of additional income, it doesn’t appeal to him at all. “I don’t feel the need to present myself there and I’m glad I don’t have to be someone else in this world.”

In his private life, Karlitzek describes himself as calm and family-oriented. Dirk Mehlberg also didn’t see him as a “big talker.” Nevertheless, he always found it amusing to see that Moritz Karlitzek always laughed at every joke the others made, whether it was funny or not.

In his current home in Poland, he enjoys every minute of his free time. In addition to cooking, fishing is also a great passion for the Hammelburg native. He used to go fishing every weekend with his grandfather and brother and would be outside from early in the morning until late at night. To escape the daily grind of the league, take a breather, and clear his mind, he still likes to spend a few hours out on the water. “The tranquility of nature always gives me inner peace and simply slows me down,” says Karlitzek.

Moritz Karlitzek has chosen a path where sport comes first. He gave up his dual career and put all his eggs in one basket. It was a risky decision, but one that paid off. Karlitzek does not yet have any concrete plans for his life after volleyball. However, he wants to complete his distance learning degree in sports science by then at the latest.

Emil Reiff

Featured image: ©volleyballworld