The Yellow Tigers delivered a very strong performance against Brazil in their second Volleyball Nations League match in Ankara. Against the world’s number two team, Belgium even took a 2-1 lead in the match, but after a thrilling five-set battle, Brazil eventually edged out the Belgians by the smallest of margins. The set scores were 20-25, 25-22, 25-23, 22-25 and 13-15.

Head coach Kris Vansnick made one change to his starting line-up. Tea Radovic started in place of captain Britt Herbots, while the rest of the starting seven remained unchanged.

Brazil made the stronger start and immediately applied heavy pressure from the service line. The Yellow Tigers were not intimidated, however. Belgium played with confidence and stayed close throughout the opening stages. At 10-10, the score was still level. With Ana Cristina serving, Brazil created the first significant gap at 10-15. The Tigers continued to trail by five points and Vansnick called his second timeout at 12-18. Belgium kept fighting for every ball and, thanks to several impressive defensive plays, closed the gap to 19-22. Brazil’s quality eventually made the difference as the favourites claimed the opening set 20-25.

Vansnick kept the same line-up on court for the second set. The Tigers played an excellent defensive game and forced Brazil to work hard for every point. At 7-8, the set remained evenly balanced. Brazil opened up a first gap at 8-11, but Belgium kept battling back. Martin and Radovic scored important points and regularly troubled the world number two. At 19-19, Brazilian head coach José Roberto Guimarães called his first timeout. Shortly afterwards, Fransen put Belgium ahead at 20-19 with a superb block. The Tigers continued to play at a high level and earned three set points at 24-21. The first was saved, but at 24-22 Belgium converted and levelled the match.

Confidence was clearly growing on the Belgian side. Lemmens blocked the Tigers into a 3-0 lead at the start of the third set. Brazil fought back to 8-6, but one aspect that had been missing against Turkey worked perfectly this time as Belgium consistently disrupted the Brazilian reception line with strong serving pressure. As a result, Brazil also found it more difficult to score. The South Americans levelled at 11-11 before taking control with scores of 14-18 and 18-21. Belgium refused to give up and fought its way back into the set. At 21-22, the deficit was down to a single point. Setter Van Sas then produced one of the highlights of the match by scoring herself from a defensive situation to make it 23-23. At 24-23, Belgium earned a set point and converted immediately when Brazil hit the ball out. To the delight of the Belgian bench, the Tigers suddenly led 2-1 against the world number two.

Belgium also started the fourth set strongly. The Tigers moved ahead 2-0 and then 4-1, benefiting from several Brazilian errors. At 8-5, Brazil was already forced to take an early timeout. Belgium continued to play excellent volleyball, but the South Americans gradually relied on their experience. After 12-11, Brazil scored three consecutive points and, with Rosamaria serving, turned the score around to lead 12-14. The Tigers fought back to 15-15 but were unable to regain the lead. Brazil extended the gap to 15-18 and later 16-20. Despite another Belgian timeout and a strong finish that saw Belgium close to 20-23 and 22-24, the set eventually went to Brazil 22-25.

In the decisive tie-break, Brazil opened the first gap at 3-5. With Radovic serving and Martin finishing attacks, Belgium fought back and moved ahead at 6-5. The Tigers continued to give everything and stretched their lead to 9-7, but Brazil immediately responded with two straight points. The battle remained extremely close. At 12-13, Brazil secured a mini-break and Vansnick called his final timeout. In the decisive moments, Brazil’s quality and experience ultimately proved decisive. Belgium saved a first match point at 12-14, but the world number two finished the job on the second opportunity.

Despite the defeat, pride is the overriding feeling for the Yellow Tigers. Against one of the strongest teams in the world, Belgium came within a few points of a remarkable upset. With attractive volleyball, tremendous fighting spirit and a high level of play, the Tigers showed once again that they continue to make progress at the highest international level.

Tea Radovic was proud of the Yellow Tigers’ performance after the match, even though the disappointment of the narrow defeat prevailed. “We started the match with a very positive mindset and told each other that we just had to go for it. Brazil is one of the best teams in the world, so we had nothing to lose. We did not expect to push them so close to defeat. Of course, I am happy that I was able to contribute to the team, but at the moment the disappointment about that final point is still the strongest feeling. Nevertheless, we can be proud of what we showed today as a team.”

Head coach Kris Vansnick saw his team come close to an upset against the world runners-up. “We were perhaps close to a historic result. We started the match strongly and showed throughout the entire game that we can compete at this level. In the decisive moments, Brazil’s experience made the difference, while we sometimes tried to force things a little too much. That is part of the learning process of this young group. It is a pity because we could have taken a big step towards securing our place in the VNL, but at the same time this performance gives us a lot of confidence. Now we have to quickly shift our focus to tomorrow’s match against Germany.”

Played for Belgium: Van Sas (4), Lemmens (5), Radovic (18), Demeyer (6), Martin (23), Fransen (4) and libero Rampelberg.

Substitutes used: Koulberg, Nagels (1), Debouck, Deleu (7) and Maes (5).