The Belgian U18 squad is on the eve of the WEVZA tournament with confidence and a clear plan. In an interview, head coach Yorick Vande Velde looks ahead to the selection, the tournament format and the ambitions. “We want to finish in the top two of our pool and reach the cross semi-finals, but above all grow every day and see where we stand internationally with this group.”

From a broad group to a clear selection

Belgium started the preparation with a broad group of 20 players and then reduced that core to 14. In that first phase, the staff deliberately looked a bit wider. “I also called up external players and younger girls to see them at work in this group,” Vande Velde explains.

The final selection consists of players from the top sports school, players from FVWB, and players who are not in a top sports pathway but develop through their club, in Liga or even lower. “This selection came together based on their own competencies. They earned their place,” it is said. When putting the group together, the staff also looked for a balanced distribution of roles towards the tournament.

According to the head coach, an important strength lies in the cohesion within the team. A large part of the group has been training almost daily together for years and has also played many matches with each other. That creates automatisms and confidence on the court. “They know each other well. It’s also a really nice group that can build on each other and rely on each other. In a tournament, that is definitely an advantage.”

Tournament format: seven countries, two pools

The WEVZA tournament is played with seven countries, divided into two pools: one pool of four and one pool of three. The top two of each pool qualify for the cross semi-finals. Afterwards, the final and classification matches follow to determine a complete ranking.

Belgium is in the pool of three together with the Netherlands and Spain. The Belgians open against the Netherlands, then have a rest day, and finish the pool phase against Spain. In between, the Netherlands and Spain play each other. “It’s special to be in a pool of three, we haven’t experienced that yet,” says Vande Velde. “But it also has advantages: we have a rest day and extra time to see Spain in action and prepare even better.”

Objectives: top two and measuring ourselves internationally

From a sporting perspective, the first objective is clear: finish in the top two of the pool and reach the cross semi-finals. At the same time, the tournament is also an important international benchmark. “We mainly want to see where we stand internationally with this group, which we have been building for a while,” it sounds.

There is no explicit pressure to reach the final at all costs, but the mindset is competitive. “We play every point, every set and every match to win,” Vande Velde says. “We want to reach a better level every day, become stronger throughout the tournament and play good matches against strong countries.”

About the overall level of the participants, the head coach is realistic. Italy is seen as a team with a lot of quality, partly due to players with experience from previous youth selections. There is less information about France and Germany, but they remain countries that are traditionally strong in youth volleyball.

In the pool, no one is underestimated. The Netherlands remain a solid reference, and Spain has made a clear step forward in recent years. “Spain has really made strong progress over the last five years. In the past it seemed more like a smaller team, but that’s absolutely no longer the case. They improve year after year, so they definitely shouldn’t be underestimated,” Vande Velde emphasizes.

Biggest challenge at this tournament: stability and control

If Vande Velde has to choose one key word, it is stability. “Maintaining stability, both in the quality of our game and in technique and tactics. We have to keep sticking to the agreements and keep executing the right tactical plans,” he says. The mental aspect will also be crucial. “We can’t lose our heads. In youth volleyball there are ups and downs, and we have to try to minimize them. If we stay stable in that, we can take a big step forward.”

With that clear focus, Belgium enters the WEVZA tournament: with strong group dynamics, clear objectives and the ambition to grow every day on the international stage.