Unlike last week, it was the Belgian men who stole the spotlight abroad this weekend.

In Italy, Ferre Reggers scored another 17 points at 55 % for Milan, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Perugia (1-3). However, the highlight came from newly promoted Taranto, which stunned Civitanova, third in the standings. After losing the first two sets, Taranto came back to win 31-29, 25-20, 15-11, with Wout D’Heer shining with 12 points at 86 %!

In Poland, Igor Grobelny was named MVP for Kedzierzyn, scoring 17 points (52 %) and leading his team to a 3-1 victory against Lwow. Last night, Gorzow (without Mathijs Desmet) defeated Chestochowa in a tie-break.

In Spain, while MVPs are not awarded, Tomas Rousseaux would certainly have been a contender, scoring 17 points at 63 % as the standout performer and top scorer for Guaguas in their 3-1 win over Cisneros. Earlier in the week, the team also advanced to the CEV Cup round of 16.

In Germany, the men’s Cup quarterfinals also featured Belgian success: coach Christophe Achten’s Düren won 0-3 against Karlsruhe, and Berlin (without Simon Plaskie) beat Lüneburg 3-1. The biggest upset came from Haching, which eliminated Friedrichshaven 3-1. The semifinals (December 10-11) will feature Düren vs. Giesen and Haching vs. Berlin.

In the Netherlands, Orion (still without McCluskey) remains the leader after a 3-1 victory against Limax. In Croatia, Kastela (with Simon Vlahovic) beat Osijek 2-3. In Romania, Marin Dukic and Craiova climbed to first place, but co-leaders Dinamo Bucharest and Brasov have one game in hand. In Switzerland, UC Lausanne (Tim Bayet) defeated Jona 0-3.

Coach Dries Hoeyberghs continues his perfect record in Denmark: his team Nordenskov remains undefeated and leads the standings after a 3-1 win over Odense Volley.

Finally, in Japan, Laurent Tillie, the Olympic gold medal-winning coach with France, has been appointed head coach of the Japanese men’s national team, replacing Philippe Blain.

Belgian Presence Secures Spot in German Women’s Cup Final

In Germany, the women’s Cup quarterfinals also showcased Belgian talent, ensuring at least one will lift the trophy! Potsdam (with Anna Koulberg, 8 points, 38 %, 3 blocks) defeated Stuttgart 3-1, where Pauline Martin and Charlotte Krenicky saw limited playtime. Suhl, featuring Lara Nagels, lost 3-0 to Dresden, where Nathalie Lemmens excelled (8 points, 58 %). The semifinals (December 17-18) will feature Potsdam vs. Dresden and Münster vs. Aachen.

In Italy, Busto Arsizio (Silke Van Avermaet, 11 points, 83 %!) continued to improve with a 0-3 victory against Cuneo. Britt Herbots (15 points, 58 %, reception 38 %) scored the winning point for Scandicci in their 1-3 win over Rome. However, Milan (Laura Heyrman 2 points, 25 %; Egonu 15 points, 28 %) was no match for Conegliano (20, 18, 15 points conceded), where Isabelle Haak shone with 20 points (43 %).

In Poland, Lodz (without Sobolska) won 0-3 against Wroclaw. In Greece, Ilka Van de Vyver kept PAOK Thessaloniki atop the standings with a 3-0 win against Amazones.

In France, Britt Rampelberg (reception 32 %) couldn’t prevent Marc-en-Baroeul from losing 3-2.
In Japan, Queenseis secured two 0-3 wins against Yamagata, led by Kaja Grobelna (11 points, 31 %, and 15 points, 48 %). Osaka, with Lise Van Hecke (29 points, – 55% in the first game) won two times against Kurobe, 2-3 and 1-3 (Lise 21p, 43%).

Article: Marcel Coppens
Photo: Instagram Tomas Rousseaux