The sun is blazing over Beveren, but inside the high-performance sports hall the temperature is reaching boiling point. While the Red Dragons prepare for a historic summer – with the Volleyball Nations League and a European Championship ahead – the place is buzzing with activity.

Among the familiar faces of Sam Deroo and the global star power of Ferre Reggers, one name has stubbornly appeared on head coach Emanuele Zanini’s selection lists for the second year in a row: Warre Vandecruys. A 20-year-old left-handed opposite from Zonhoven who seems to defy logic.

No background at the top sports school, only converted from setter to attacker five years ago, and now a bachelor student at the Sportskot in Leuven, trying to survive eight exams between training blocks. Who is this “Rising Dragon” trying to force his way toward the world elite from the shadow of the Port of Antwerp? We found out in an in-depth double interview with his coach at Antwerp, Raf Vekemans, and the young talent himself.

The coach: Raf Vekemans
Raf, for the second year in a row we see Warre on the Red Dragons’ longlist. For the general public he may still be relatively unknown, but you brought him to Antwerp two years ago. What did you see in him that others missed?

Raf Vekemans: “Actually, it’s simple: I discovered Warre during a friendly Antwerp played against Hasselt in pre-season. He immediately stood out to me. Not because he was already setting the hall on fire, but because there was something incredibly natural about the way he moved. He’s left-handed, which is always an advantage at opposite because of the angles, but it was mainly his natural jump and hitting motion that triggered me. I brought him to Antwerp. He hadn’t gone to the top sports school, which made him a bit of a blank canvas. A rough diamond that hadn’t yet been polished by the standard system, and I like that.”

He only switched from setter to opposite five years ago. That’s a bit of a gamble, isn’t it?

“It wasn’t a gamble, it was a necessity because of his physical development, but you should ask Warre himself about that. What I saw was that the motor skills of a setter – those hands, that overview – become a huge asset when you move into attacking. Warre sometimes still thinks like a setter. He knows where the block will be, he understands the tactics. He is not some mindless hitter who just rips at the ball blindly. The fact that he absorbed that transition so quickly proves his mental strength.”

How has his development gone this season at Antwerp? He was competing with an experienced player like Jeroen Oprins.

“Warre played about 30 percent of the matches this season, but his impact is bigger than that number suggests. When fit, Jeroen Oprins is still one of the best opposites in the league, but he’s been dealing with injuries for some time. That gave Warre the chance to step in. Sometimes it was even a deliberate tactical choice to play him, purely for his development. Since January he has really grown into the team, and next season he will undoubtedly get chances, partly because of Jeroen’s long-term injury. Zanini is following him closely too. I’m in regular contact with Emanuele; he genuinely believes in Warre’s potential. The fact that he is back with the Dragons is the best possible advertisement for our club.”

What still needs work if he really wants to make the step into the Red Dragons’ starting group?

“Technically and tactically he is already very advanced, but physically he still needs to add more body. 1.98m is nice, but at international level you need the strength to go with it. His defence and blocking are currently the biggest focus points. But Warre is an incredible worker. He does get frustrated in training when something doesn’t work, but that comes from healthy ambition. He wants to improve his weaker points. The fact that he combines his studies at the Sportskot with this level says everything about his discipline.”

The student-athlete: Warre Vandecruys
Warre, let’s start at the beginning. You’re from Zonhoven, you study in Leuven, but you play in Antwerp. What does an average day in your life look like?

Warre Vandecruys: “(laughs) Right now it’s mostly a puzzle. I’m in my second bachelor year in Physical Education and Movement Sciences at the Sportskot. So during the day I’m either in lectures or training, and in the evening I drive to Antwerp for practice. I currently have eight exams ahead of me, so the break after the season was very short. Luckily I have elite-athlete status, but it’s still intense. I often carpool with Raf when I leave from Zonhoven, which helps a lot with the trip to Antwerp.”

You have an unusual path: you turned down the top sports school. Why?

“I did get offers from the schools in Leuven and Vilvoorde, but at that time I didn’t feel ready for it. I was sixteen and only then started realising there might really be something in volleyball, but I didn’t want to leave my friends from secondary school. I built my base at Hasselt, in a real volleyball family. My mother played volleyball and my sister Fien now plays for the Hasselt women’s team.”

Then came the famous switch from setter to opposite. How did that metamorphosis happen?

“Until covid, I was indeed the guy distributing the balls. After the lockdown I came back and I had suddenly grown a lot taller than my older teammates. Reception was never my strongest point, but I could hit the ball down. Since I’m left-handed, moving to opposite made sense. It’s funny: sometimes I watch Sil Meijs play, he made the same switch, and I think back to my setter days. But the switch is now fully made. I enjoy the role of finisher. My setter background helps me read the game, although I think the change happened early enough for me to feel like a proper, full-blooded opposite now.”

You’re on the Red Dragons longlist for the second summer in a row. Last year you dropped out just before the final selection.

“Last year the invitation was a huge surprise. I thought: ‘What am I doing there behind guys like Basil Dermaux and Ferre Reggers?’. But those training weeks under Zanini were a real eye-opener. The level difference is impressive. When you watch those guys, you learn every second. The intensity is much higher than in league play. Of course, it was a bit of a blow when I didn’t make the shortlist, but mostly it motivated me for this season.”

This year the challenge is even bigger with the VNL. What do you expect from this summer?

“I’m realistic. I know I’m still a step behind Basil and Ferre. They are top-class world players. But now I get the chance to train with the main group in Beveren. There’s a parallel programme with the Rising Dragons, and there’s a good chance I’ll get more playing time there in friendly matches. That is exactly what I need for my development right now: getting international reps. Of course I secretly hope for a few minutes in the VNL campaign, but my focus is on growing.”

Zanini is known for believing in young players. Have you spoken with him much already?

“Not really in a personal way yet, but he is very present in training. He puts huge emphasis on physical readiness and muscle strength. I’m about 88 kg and 1.98m, so there is definitely still room to grow in terms of muscle mass. I know I still need to take steps physically to break through that ‘international wall’. But the belief he radiates in young players gives all of us a massive boost.”

Text: Kenny Hennens
Photos: Daniël Van Hoeck

Red Dragons schedule – Summer 2026:

27/05: Beveren fan day: Belgium vs France.

10/06 – 14/06: VNL Week 1 (Brasilia) vs Bulgaria, Brazil, Serbia, Iran.

24/06 – 28/06: VNL Week 2 (Gliwice) vs Poland, China, Germany, Türkiye.

15/07 – 19/07: VNL Week 3 (Osaka) vs Cuba, Italy, Japan, Canada.

10/09 – 26/09: European Championship (Pool C, Finland).