In Manila, the rainy season brings daily downpours, and at the World Volleyball Championship, unexpected results 'sprout' like mushrooms after rain. Belgium surprised the reigning champion Italy and recorded a historic 3:2 victory in sets, thus securing a place in the round of 16. The Belgian opposite hitter Ferre Reggers, playing in Milan, became an executioner for some of his teammates in the Italian league, scoring an exceptional 31 points for the win.
Dramatic turn of the match
The Belgians took a convincing 2:0 lead, driven by the brilliant performance of Sam Deroo and Ferre Reggers. Italy, through the play of Sbertoli and Rychlicki, found the strength to bring back the intrigue, leveling the score at 2:2. In the tie-break, however, the Belgians maintained concentration and controlled the end of the match. Reggers brought the first match point, and the future player for Lokomotiv Novosibirsk Sam Deroo, finished the duel with a decisive attack against the block.
Set scores
Pool F
Preliminary Phase
Match #32
Quezon City, Philippines
Italy Belgium 2:3 (23-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 13-15)
Match statistics
| Italy | Statistics | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| 54 | Attack | 62 |
| 14 | Block | 11 |
| 6 | Serve | 6 |
| 32 | Opponent errors | 29 |
| 106 | Total points | 108 |
The Belgians were more effective in attack (62 against 54), which proved to be a key factor. Italy excelled in blocking (14 against 11), but this did not help them in the most crucial moments.
Statistics by element
| Italy | Element | Belgium |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Digs | 79 |
| 88 | Reception | 88 |
| 120 | Setting | 136 |
The Belgians stood out with significantly more digs (79 against 66) and better game organization (136 sets). These details reflect their more stable collective work in defense and counter-attack.
Top scorers
| Italy | Points | Belgium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Botolo (12) | 17 | Reggers (2) | 31 |
| Michieletto (5) | 16 | Derou (3) | 17 |
Ferre Reggers was the big star of the match with 31 points almost double the score of the best Italian player. Sam Derou also strongly supported the Belgian team, while the Italians distributed the points among their attackers, but without a clear leader.
What's next
Belgium is already a sure participant in the round of 16, while Italy will have to wait for their last match against Ukraine on September 18 to find out if they will advance.
The loss dropped Italy to third place in the world rankings, while Belgium climbed three spots and is now 14th.
📌 Another surprising result in Manila shows that there are no certain victories at this World Championship, and the favorites will have to prove their class in every match.
photo: volleyballworld.com
