The first matches of the Belgian league haven’t gone according to plan for Greenyard Maaseik. The reason is clear: the young and heavily renewed team needed time to adapt. After a short pre-season – with several players away on national team duty – new coach Pavel Woicki, himself a fresh face in Maaseik, faced the challenge of quickly finding the right rhythm and chemistry.
After a hesitant start, recent performances show promising progress. The impressive cup win against Leuven has especially boosted the team’s confidence.

“But the win against Waremme was just as important,” says Woicki. “Leuven is a team that knows how to play together; they’ve been working with the same core for a while. You can see it. And it’s never easy to win in Waremme. For Maaseik, every match matters. Every confrontation is a chance to grow stronger and learn. Our team is young, the players have to give everything in training and in games. In top-level sport, it’s about surviving day by day.”

On Wednesday, Maaseik faces SCM Universitatea Craiova – the former team of Juan Ignacio Finoli. The Argentine setter already played for Noliko Maaseik eleven years ago, when Wout Wijsmans was still his teammate and Thierry Courtois the club manager. With his experience, Finoli is expected to guide the young group towards maturity and success.

The same kind of leadership is expected from head coach Woicki. The Polish trainer has worked alongside club legend Vital Heynen – with the Polish national team, the German women’s team, and the U21 talents in China. But that’s not the only reason he was brought to Belgium: his impressive track record convinced the Maaseik management to start this new chapter.
“My collaboration with Vital definitely influenced my vision,” explains Woicki. “We think similarly about volleyball in many ways. What strikes me in Belgium is the passion and the willingness to improve – individually and as a team. But that requires sacrifice. How I convey my ideas – about tactics, motivation, group dynamics, or life as a professional athlete – you’d have to ask the players. I guide and advise, but they have to want to get better every single day. That’s their job.”

“I find the Belgian league very interesting,” the Polish coach continues. “As I said, it’s about surviving every match and using every opportunity to show and improve your best qualities. That applies to short-term goals, like Wednesday’s European match, but also to long-term ambitions. The competition is strong. Roeselare is truly a high-quality team. The semi-finals of the Lotto Cup will be a real challenge.”

Text: WV
Photo: Marc Marcelis