The Yellow Tigers stand on the eve of the second main event of the summer. The European Volleyball Championship is shaping up to be a crucial stress test for the national women’s team. After a gruelling and sometimes erratic campaign in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) — in which the team managed to hold its own among the world’s best — the focus now shifts definitively to the continental title race.
At the head of the troops is a player who, over recent years, has grown into the true ambassador of our national team: Britt Herbots.

The 26-year-old whirlwind has experienced a summer full of emotions and milestones in which she not only shone on the court as the all-time top scorer of the VNL, but was also honoured off the court as an honorary citizen of her hometown Sint-Truiden. Yet the past weeks were anything but a walk in the park. Physical wear and tear, annoying muscle injuries and the constant search for the right automatisms within a heavily renewed and young group demanded the utmost from the Belgian spearhead.
In Baku, the Tigers face a treacherous path. A pool with host nation Azerbaijan, arch-rival Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain offers huge opportunities, but requires absolute sharpness from day one.

How physically and mentally prepared is the team after such a heavy preparation? What does the transformation from “explosive points machine” to the undisputed tactical and mental guide of a new generation of Yellow Tigers require? And how can the hard culture of the Italian Serie A help to ignite the sacred fire within the squad?

In an extensive and candid interview, Britt Herbots lays all the cards on the table: her physical readiness, the directness in the dressing room, the confrontation with the Netherlands and her dreams for this European Championship.

“The VNL is an extremely tough competition every year”
With suitcases half-packed, the last intense training sessions in Leuven completed and the Slovenian preparation trip behind her, Britt Herbots radiates a healthy mix of calm and determination. The short recovery period at home in Sint-Truiden clearly did her good, although the sporting focus is now definitively sharpened for the trip to Baku.

Britt, we simply cannot ignore your past summer. In the VNL you put yourself on the map in a fantastic way and being crowned the all-time top scorer of the tournament was a historic milestone. With what feeling do you look back on that moment and what does something like that do for your confidence on the eve of this European Championship?
Britt Herbots: “The VNL is an extremely tough competition every year anyway, both in terms of travel and the match schedule. I took part in weeks 1 and 2 and I think we as a team can be very satisfied that we secured our place relatively quickly. The difference in level between the VNL and, for example, the European League is really huge. It does give you room to experiment at the highest level, although there were logically ups and downs. For me personally, such an individual accolade is of course very nice, but this year we also had a lot of bad luck with injuries and little niggles here and there. That was really not easy to manage continuously within the squad.”

“The abdominal area has remained a fragile zone over the years”
You mention those injuries. You yourself struggled with your abdominals in week 2 of the VNL, a well-known weak spot for you. How was that managed in the run-up to the European Championship?
“Touch wood! The abdominals are indeed for me an area that has taken a lot of punishment over the years. But honestly: that has been excellently managed in the recent period. I was still able to finish that second week in the VNL well. Against top teams like Turkey and Brazil we then consciously took no risks at all. After that I got my well-deserved holiday. During the preparation period in Leuven I was able to drive back and forth daily from Sint-Truiden — in a good 35 minutes I am in the hall. In the mornings we did strength training, then eating together, ball training and recovery. That calm at home was exactly what my body needed.”

“The recognition in Sint-Truiden gave me a lot of positive energy”
Speaking of that home front: you were honoured as an honorary citizen in Sint-Truiden. What emotions did that bring about for a top athlete who spends most of the year abroad?
(smiles) “That was really a beautiful experience and a very nice honour. Many people do not realise that we are barely at home during the season. When I am in Sint-Truiden, my mum and dad enjoy that intensely. And I, honestly, even more. When I come home, they invariably ask what I want to eat. Then I ask for a whole week of real Belgian food: ham rolls with cheese sauce, meat loaf with cherries, a good pot of beef stew or blanquette… Delicious! At home they call that winter food, but for me that is pure pampering. And that honorary citizenship… It was organised very nicely. When you walk across the market on a Saturday and feel all that support, it gives you a lot of positive energy. That support from home, you take it with you in your suitcase.”

“Mentally we are good, but we need to get back to VNL level”
The switch must now be definitively flipped, because after the preparation against Hungary and Slovenia (3-0 and 3-2 wins) the European Championship is upon us. How sharp is your focus?
“Mentally we are good, but it is crucial that we get back to the rhythm and level of the VNL as quickly as possible. That process is going quite smoothly at the moment, although you can feel that it has been a tough summer. At the European Championship we will soon play five matches in six days… Honestly, I do not think there are many team sports where the physical load is so insanely high in such a short time. Against Hungary we played three matches; they were very much searching with a high error load, while we played inconsistently with ups and downs. We mainly played in function of ourselves. That last test against Slovenia? In recent years they have become a much better team and they will also participate in the VNL next year. Those are the tests we need.”

“I have become more complete over the years”
Over the years you have evolved from the young “points machine” to the absolute leader of this team. How do you fulfil that role within a heavily renewed squad?
“It has absolutely been a transition period, from coach to players, a lot has changed. Personally, I still involuntarily compare this group often with the previous generation — the period with Celine Van Gestel, Marlies Janssens, Jutta Van de Vyver… With them we really built something over a number of years. Fitting all that back in with young players is not easy. We certainly cannot complain, but we are simply not yet at the level of back then. Previously I purely had my role as attacker and had to finish many balls. Now I take much more responsibility in reception, in defence and in steering. I have become more complete over the years.”

“It is better to be challenged young abroad”
Do you also advise those young players to take the step to a foreign competition quickly?
“Yes, absolutely. I think it is better to be challenged at a young age abroad than to stay too long in the Belgian competition. I think the Belgian competition has declined somewhat because many have stopped or left. So I really hope that younger players take on the challenge abroad. Coming back is always possible. Make sure in Belgium you know when it is no longer a challenge and then look for a step higher. But of course: if you go abroad and you are not yet physically or socially ready for it, you are there alone and the internal competition is tough, then it can become difficult. So first go to a competition where you can realistically take those steps.”

“In Italy it can be very tough”
You have been competing for years at the highest level in the Italian Serie A. What specific hardness and top-sport mentality are you trying to pass on to the Yellow Tigers?
“In Italy it can be very tough. I am of the opinion that in a team we do not all have to be best friends. You must be able to say things honestly to each other on the court. Teammates must be at their best, and sometimes you then have to be very hard on each other. If after the match we drink a coffee it is fine, but on the court it may sometimes clash. Sometimes that is necessary, we must keep naming those things. Not everyone can always like you. In Italy a team changes every season and has to work in a very short time. There are people for the good atmosphere, but on the court the result counts. As a leader I have to take on that role, although you have to be careful that not everyone just continuously gives their opinion, because then you get chaos.”

“If they put two blockers on me, so much the better”
Every opponent builds their tactical plan specifically around you. How do you deal with that extreme “Herbots focus”?
“You can frustrate yourself in that or make the best of it. You know that teams know you inside out, but I have to say that the other way around is also true: I now also know quite a few opponents inside out. If they put two players on me, so much the better, because then Pauline (Martin) or someone else has a one-on-one situation at the block. We played for years with Silke (Van Avermaet) at the opposite, we always try as a team to find solutions to disrupt that little tactical plan of the opponent.”

“We are often our own toughest opponent”
Let’s look at the pool phase in Baku. With host nation Azerbaijan, Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Portugal you have a varied group. How do you assess the balance of power?
“It is a pool with many faces. Head coach Kris thinks that if we play against host nation Azerbaijan, the hall could well be quite full. Let’s hope so, because you much prefer to play in front of a full hall. Spain is really a flow team that you must not underestimate. Portugal is less known, it has been a few years since we last met them. And Romania is missing one of their better players due to a cruciate ligament injury. We certainly must not make those teams bigger than they are, but step onto the court with the right alertness. The toughest opponent at the moment is often ourselves.”

Why do you say that the Yellow Tigers are currently their own toughest opponent?
“Because we are still a bit unstable. We are really still searching in our system, especially in block-defence. At the moment we do not look too much at the opponent, we start from our own basic system. In attack and variation, for example, we used to play a lot of “pipe” (back-row attack) and a lot of variation with the middle blockers, which gave enormous frustration to the opposing blocker. We currently play that a lot less. Serving remains very important. Physically and mentally I feel okay, but I myself am also still a bit searching with the setters. Many things have to come from a flow: if matches one and two go smoothly, you gain more confidence for matches three and four.”

“We will make the Netherlands pay dearly”
And then of course there is the always charged clash against our neighbours from the Netherlands…
“That will be a very important match. In the pool it will probably be between us and the Netherlands for the top two. The Netherlands did reach the Final 8 of the VNL, so they are very strong. We must first correctly finish those other matches and not look too far ahead, but we will make the Netherlands pay dearly for our skin.”

“I would be very happy to play the quarter-finals”
When is this European Championship a success for you personally and for the whole team?
“That is always a very difficult one. For me it mainly depends on the feeling after the European Championship. In result terms I would be very happy if we finish first or second in the pool. Then in the round of 16 we hopefully draw an achievable opponent from the group with, among others, Poland, Turkey and Germany. And honestly? I would be very happy to play the quarter-finals at this European Championship. I know what this team can and cannot do. We are a team that should not feel too much paralysing pressure on the shoulders, so let’s mainly look at it match by match. But that ambition is absolutely there.”

Yellow Tigers schedule – European Championship pool phase (Baku):
22/08: 13:30 Belgium vs. Spain
23/08: 13:30 Belgium vs. Portugal
25/08: 13:30 Belgium vs. Romania
26/08: 16:30 Belgium vs. Azerbaijan
27/08: 13:30 Belgium vs. Netherlands

Text: Kenny Hennens
Photo: Volleyball World