It would take something going seriously wrong for Hellvoc not to become champions this weekend or, at the latest, next week in the men's First National division. They are ahead of other strong teams in the league – Marke-Webis Wevelgem and Vamos Stekene Sint-Gillis-Waas – and still have three home matches to play.

"In principle, it shouldn't go wrong because we haven't lost a single home match this season," says captain Yentl Van der Aa of the team formed from the merger between VC Schelle and Hemix VC. "For the past three seasons, we have always finished in the top three of our league, and in my penultimate season as a player, I absolutely want to finish with a title."

He has already calculated the chances. "If we win against Lensonline Genk on Saturday and Booischot wins at home against Stekene, we will be champions. Otherwise, we can still secure the title next Thursday with the visit of Feniks Haacht, a team that took points from us in the first round. But winning the title during the week is less enjoyable, although I think most players would take Friday off. And on the final matchday, we will host Rembert Torhout."

A keg, a keg, a keg at Hellvoc?
Yentl Van der Aa: "Definitely! But I fear that even multiple kegs won't be enough once the title is secured!" (laughs)

Yet, surprisingly, last month you lost to bottom team Topsportschool Vilvoorde (3-1), which also won 0-3 at Marke.
"I can only speak for us, but it was an away match, and we are generally a bit weaker on the road. Moreover, it was a midweek match after a full workday for several players. I also have to admit that there might have been a bit of underestimation because the Topsportschool team played stronger than expected. But we certainly didn’t lose ‘on purpose.’"

At the beginning of the season, you also struggled to convince.
"That’s true. After five matchdays, I also thought that a title was out of reach. We had several new players, but the chemistry didn’t develop immediately. We dropped points against teams like Vosselaar, Haacht, or Booischot. The turning point may have come after a team meeting where our coach, Wannes Rosiers, reminded us that he had come to Hellvoc to become champions. I think it was before the match against Puurs, and from then on, we went on a long winning streak."

What are Hellvoc's strengths?
"We have a team with several experienced players who can guide the younger ones. And what’s typical for Hellvoc is that we always manage to step up in big matches. Our concentration is higher then, and at home, we thrive on the enthusiastic support of our fans. The only real weak point remains our away matches, but that’s been the case for the seven years I’ve been with this team."

So likely champions, but then the pressing question: will you also get promoted?
"The answer is clear: no! We just want to win the title for the honor. Moving up would be a financial disaster for the club. And let’s not forget that Hellvoc has more than 35 youth and senior teams. They are also crucial for the club’s future.
From a sporting perspective, the whole team agrees. We only train twice a week, and neither the older nor younger players want to train more. We simply don’t have that ambition."

Brabo Antwerpen did take the step, even though you used to regularly beat them…
"Yes, but that wasn’t the same Antwerpen as today. By training four to five times a week, they have made huge progress with a young, ambitious squad. And if you see how much they still struggle to win a set in Liga A, that tells you a lot. We would already need to be at our absolute best just to stand a chance against this Brabo team."

You also know that if you win another title next season, you will be forced to move up. You can refuse once, but not more than that.
"I find that decision a bit unfortunate. Let the teams that know they can’t go higher just keep playing in First National and decide among themselves who is the best. Otherwise, you’ll see teams start slowing down in February and suddenly record strange losses. Whoever gets promoted is essentially signing their death sentence for the coming years. They could always ask the champion if they want to move up, but if they don’t, just let the Liga teams handle their own competition. Maybe the Liga clubs should really think about this."

Wouldn’t the players earn more if they played in Liga A?
"A joke. No one here gets paid, except for a small travel allowance. The club simply can’t afford more. And you don’t see any Liga A players coming to us either. That says enough."

A great farewell to an impressive volleyball career, then?
"Thanks. One more year of playing, and maybe a beautiful farewell. But I’ve already started a coaching course, so you might still see me around on the volleyball courts after next season."

Text: Marcel Coppens
Photos: Hellvoc and archive