Belgium scored double tie-break victories over Finland this weekend to trail the Netherlands in Pool E standings of the FIVB Volleyball World League
Tampere, Finland, May 24, 2015 – Belgium wielded its force for another 3-2 (29-31, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) victory over Finland in Pool E of the FIVB Volleyball World League at the Tampere Ice Hall on Sunday.
Belgium recorded two of their three victories to equalise their win-record against Finland in the World League, where the latter already recorded three wins in the preliminary rounds of 2014. In the last five outings, all matches came in five sets, which Finland took the first three, and Belgium with the latest two wins this weekend.
Sam Deroo had another prolific scoring night for Belgium with 22 points, while Finland’s Urpo Sivula scored 21 points.
“This was a real battle, just like yesterday,” Belgium captain Sam Deroo said. “In the fifth set we played with good energy and fight. Finland served stronger today than yesterday. After we lost the third set it was not easy to recover, but now we can be happy for these two victories.”
“I’m really happy with two victories,” Belgium coach Dominique Baeyens said on his team’s great spirit. “This was a big question mark before this weekend, but now it is the perfect scenario for us. Two victories are very important for us in the pool standing. This team had great heart, great spirit. It means good things for the future.”
Key points
• Belgium prevailed in two tiebreaker matches this weekend against Finland.
• Finland led mid-way in the fourth set but Belgium pulled off a heroic upset that motivated them to gain control of the tiebreaker set.
• Belgium and Finland will meet again next week in Kortrijk, Belgium.
• Netherlands still leads Pool E with five points and Belgium are in second place with four points.
• Sam Deroo now leads the scoring with 47 points ahead of Urpo Sivula of Finland with 42 points, while Dick Kooy of the Netherlands with 39 points.
Top scoring performances
• 25 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 24 - Hugo Gaspar of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 22 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 – Gert Van Walle of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 21 - Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Urpo Sivula of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 21 - Kay van Dijk of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 19 - Alexandre Ferreira of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 19 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 17)
• 17 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 16)
Top scoring performances by team
• 117 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 113 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 108 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 106 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 105 – Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 102 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 98 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 86 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
Top blocking performances
• 5 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 5 – Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 5 - Cornelius Bontje Johannes of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 4 – Eemi Tervaportti of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 3 - Fabricio Silva of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 3 - Joao Jose of Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 3 - Felix Chapman Pineiro of Cuba v Canada (May 16)
• 3 - Graham Vigrass of Canada v Cuba (May 16)
Top blocking performances by team
• 17 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 16 - Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 15 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 13 - Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 12 - Netherlands v Portgual (May 16)
• 11 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 10 - Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 10 - Cuba v Canada (May 16)
Top serving performances
• 6 – Pieter Coolman of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 4 – Antti Siltala of Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 4 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 3 - Jeroen Rauwerdink of Netherlands v Portugal (May 16)
• 3 - Andre Reis Lopes of Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
Top serving performances by team
• 10 – Belgium v Finland (May 23)
• 9 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 16)
• 8 – Belgium v Finland (May 24)
• 7 – Finland v Belgium (May 24)
• 7 - Portugal v Netherlands (May 17)
• 6 – Finland v Belgium (May 23)
• 6 - Canada v Cuba (May 17)
Highest scorer by round
• Day 1: 17 - Gavin Schmitt of Canada v Cuba (May 16)
• Day 2: 25 - Dick Kooy of Netherlands v Portugal (May 17)
• Day 3: 25 - Sam Deroo of Belgium v Finland (May 23)
Highest set score
• Day 1: Canada v Cuba, 26-24 (May 16)
• Day 2: Canada v Cuba and Portugal v Netherlands, 26-24 (May 17)
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland, 30-28 (May 23)
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland, 31-29 (May 24)
Highest scoring matches
• Day 1: Netherlands v Portugal (May 16) (23-25, 25-20, 25-21, 25-20) - 184
• Day 2: Netherlands v Portugal (May 17) (17-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-21, 25-12) - 208
• Day 3: Belgium v Finland (May 23) (25-20, 30-28, 20-25, 23-25, 15-7) - 218
• Day 4: Belgium v Finland (May 24) (29-31, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 15-11) - 225