In a true volleyball thriller from the second weekend of the Women's Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the national team ofBelgiumdefeatedCanada3-2 (22-25, 25-13, 21-25, 25-22, 18-16) after more than two hours of fierce battle in Istanbul.
The match went through many twists and turns, with both teams demonstrating ambition, character, and high-quality volleyball. The Canadians won the first and third sets, but the Belgians showed stable mentality in crucial moments, including in the dramatic tie-break, which ended 18-16 in their favor.
Herbots shines again
Belgium's star,Britt Herbots, was impeccable in attack and finished with an impressive31 points, proving once again that she is the engine of the Belgian team. She was supported byMartin with 17 points.
For Canada, the top scorer wasJohnsonwith 21 points, andSmrekcontributed 19. Despite a strong block (17 points against 10 for Belgium) and better reception defense, the North Americans failed to close out the match, although they were on the verge of victory (they were the first to reach match point).
Match statistics:
Attacks:Belgium - 70 | Canada - 57
Blocks:Belgium - 10 | Canada - 17
Aces:Belgium - 5 | Canada - 6
Points from opponent's errors:Belgium - 26 | Canada - 21
Total points:Belgium - 111 | Canada - 101
The match in Istanbul was part of Pool 4 and highlighted the competitiveness in this year's VNL. For Belgium, the win is an important step towards a higher ranking (currently in 13th position in the VNL), while Canada will need to recover quickly before their next matches to avoid relegation, as they are in 15th position (2 wins) in the provisional ranking of 18 teams in the VNL.
photos:volleyballworld.com
