Belgium was close to a serious surprise against one of the favorites in this year's Women's Volleyball Nations League. In their first match of the tournament in Nanjing, the Belgians put up strong resistance against Poland, but ultimately lost 2:3 (20:25, 25:22, 23:25, 25:18, 13:15).
The Group 3 match offered many twists and turns and lasted over two hours. The Poles took the lead after the first set, but Belgium responded by leveling the score at 1:1. In the third set, Poland again pulled ahead, before the Belgians dominated the fourth set and forced the match into a tie-break.
In the decisive fifth set, both teams went point for point, but the greater experience of the Polish squad paid off and Stefano Lavarini's team snatched the victory with a minimal 15:13.
| Team | Attack | Block | Serve | Opponent errors | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belgium | 64 | 12 | 6 | 24 | 106 |
| Poland | 73 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 105 |
Belgium finished with one point more in the match, but this was not enough for success. Poland had a significant advantage in attack with 73 points against 64, which compensated for the deficit in blocking and serving. The Belgians capitalized better on opponent errors, but in key moments the Poles executed their attacks more effectively.
| Statistic | Belgium | Poland |
|---|---|---|
| Digs | 119 | 133 |
| Reception | 96 | 102 |
| Sets | 170 | 198 |
The statistics also show a slight superiority of Poland in game components other than attack. The Polish team recorded more digs, better reception, and more successful sets, which indicates a more stable game organization and better offensive build-up.
Britt Herbots was the top scorer for Belgium with an impressive 30 points, while Celine Martin added another 22. For Poland, the leading scorer was Magdalena Stysiak with 25 points, while Malwina Smarzek contributed 15.
The victory brought Poland a minimal increase in their world ranking points, where they hold fourth place
+0.01 points for a 3:2 win, while Belgium remains in 14th position, losing a minimal amount from their points
-0.01. This only emphasizes how evenly matched and contested the match between the two teams was.
For Poland, the victory is an important start in the competition, while Belgium showed that they have the potential to be one of the unpleasant opponents for the favorites as early as the first week of the tournament in China.
photo:volleyballworld.com
