In the second quarterfinal duel of the opening day in Lingyi, Belgium got payback against Croatia after losing to their opponents in the European Golden League less than two months ago and moved forward with a dramatic 3-2 (25-20, 25-18, 22-25, 15-25, 15-13) victory.

Outside hitter Seppe Rotty was instrumental in the Belgian triumph as he led all scorers with 24 points (22 kills, two blocks). Opposite Ferre Reggers, with 18, and outside hitter Pierre Perrin, with 15, also contributed to their successful start in the Challenger Cup.

“We started the match really well, we were aggressive from the start and that was the most important thing,” Rotty reflected. “We had our struggles in the third and fourth sets, but were able to focus on the tie-breaker and keep fighting. I felt this was one of our best games this summer and we’re improving every day. We want to qualify for the VNL and that’s why we’re here. We think that playing the best teams in the world will help our improvement a lot.”