Belgium
Lowie Stuer was the one running the show in the first set as he scored 7 points to help his team impose its will as a large number of unforced errors by Austria also contributed to the convincing 25-14.
In the second set Austria was able to put some pressure on the opponents as it stepped up its serving efforts and reduced its mistakes. So the score was relatively stable through 11-11, but the Belgian block started working really well and gave Steven Vanmedegael’s team the edge to storm for the final 25-17.
In the third set, Belgium took an early 4-0 lead and never looked back. The gap went as wide as 9 points at 13-4. Austria was once again in the mode of committing too many errors and, although Nina Sawatzki’s boys at one moment managed to get as close as 3 points behind their opponents, they could not catch up.
All that was left for them to do was to sit on the stands and watch the next match to find out whether they will stay in Laktaši for two more games or they should start packing. The Belgian team also went up to the stands, but for a different reason – to celebrate together with its fans.
Steven Vanmedegael, head coach of Belgium: “I am very pleased with how my team played. We did not just win the game, but we also qualified for the World Championship which will be a great opportunity for our side to compete with the best teams around the world. Taking into consideration that our team is one of the youngest in this championship we have all rights to be satisfied. We will do our best in the semi final against the Russians who are definitely a very tough opponent.“
Nina Sawatzki, head coach of Austria: “Congratulations to the Belgian team! Their serve and reception were excellent which brought them to the victory. Our team should definitely work on those aspects as well as on the motivation.”
Sander Depovere, captain of the Belgium: “We served very well from the beginning of the match and as everyone knows that is one of the most important things in volleyball. We are very satisfied with how well we played but it certainly can be even better. This game was of great importance because it brought us tickets to the World Championship in Mexico. We will do our best to continue performing well.”
Florian Ertl, captain of Austria: “Today the Belgians were much better than us. As far as our team, concentration was very low and it seemed like nobody was motivated enough to win. We sincerely hope that our next match will be more successful for us and we will certainly do our best.”
To read more news from this competition click on Youth European Championship 2013 M.
