The first week of the 2025 Volleyball Nations League is over for the Yellow Tigers. In Beijing, the Belgian women's volleyball team faced four very different opponents – from world-class teams to rising challengers. With one solid win against Thailand and three losses to top-tier teams China, Poland, and a particularly strong France, the sporting balance is still somewhat even, but in terms of experience and team development, this young group made significant progress.

The opening match against China, ranked fifth in the world, was a serious challenge from the start. Belgium showed resistance especially in the second set, but the host team eventually claimed a 3-0 win. The second match brought success: against the fast and technical play of Thailand, the Tigers fought back impressively and secured a 3-1 win. In the matches against France and Poland – both physically dominant teams – Belgium struggled to get into their rhythm, although the third set against Poland was a promising final note.

Vansnick: "A young group with a clear vision for the future"

Head coach Kris Vansnick reflected realistically but optimistically on the first international week with his revamped squad:
"We started this VNL project with a clear objective: to gain experience with a young team, build automatisms, and prepare for the future. In that sense, we’ve learned a great deal this week. Each match gave us new insights – about where we stand physically, where we still need to grow mentally, and how our players handle the tempo and pressure at this level."
"We’ve already shown good things against Thailand, and we shouldn’t forget that. They play a style that’s very similar to Japan, and that type of opponent has often been tough for us to counter in the past. Beating them now shows progress. At the same time, the matches against Poland and France show that we still need to take further steps to compete with the world’s powerhouses."

Team dynamics and role distribution

According to Vansnick, the focus these weeks is not solely on results, but primarily on development — both individually and as a team:
"We have several players in this group who are playing at this level for the first time. That’s no small thing — it’s a huge leap for them. As a team, we’re still making mistakes, but identifying and fixing them is part of the process. That’s what this tournament is about for us. At the same time, we expect our more experienced players to show maturity and step up when it matters. They have to lead in crunch time."

"What reassures me is the team dynamic. The atmosphere is very positive — there’s mutual respect, hard work, and open communication. We’re truly building our well-known Tiger DNA: fighting spirit, unity, and defending every ball like it’s the last. That mentality is starting to show, and I’m proud of that."

Looking ahead: building with long-term vision

"We’ll again be tested physically, in speed and mental resilience. And that’s exactly why VNL is so important for us. You don’t learn anything by only playing matches you know you can win. Last summer, we fought hard to earn our place back in the Volleyball Nations League. These confrontations force us to grow because every mistake gets punished. This week made us stronger – individually and as a team. And that’s exactly what we need as we build for the future."