Belgium celebrates some extent in opposition to Sweden within the n the FIVB Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila. – MARLO CUETO/INQUIREr.web
MANILA, Philippines — Belgium unleashed a balanced assault to knock Sweden out of the FIVB Ladies’s Volleyball Challenger Cup with a 25-16, 25-23, 25-22 win Thursday night at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Belgium, which missed stars Britt Herbots and Silke Van Avermaet, overcame the European Golden League champions with Manon Stragier main the best way with 17 factors off 13 assaults, three blocks, and an ace.
Britt Fransen additionally stepped up for Belgium with 12 factors together with 5 massive blocks, whereas Pauline Martin was additionally instrumental with 11 factors to forge a knockout semifinal in opposition to Puerto Rico on Saturday.
SCHEDULE: Alas Pilipinas ladies at FIVB Challenger Cup 2024
Martin believes that their service-receive and web protection had been the elements to their sturdy begin within the qualifier for subsequent yr’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL), hoping to maintain their momentum within the semis in opposition to Puerto Rico, which swept Kenya earlier.
“It was essential for us to win the serve obtain that was an enormous a part of the sport right this moment, which I feel we dominated the entire recreation. It was an organized block protection. We saved their essential spikers beneath management and performed our recreation and tried to not make errors,” the other spiker mentioned.
“We haven’t scouted them (Puerto Rico) but. I do know they’re a reasonably totally different crew from final yr. They’re extra like a defensive crew so it’s going to be actually arduous to attain in opposition to them so we’re gonna see and analyze their crew and take it as a brand new recreation and alternative,” she added.
READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico ousts Kenya to advance to semis
Martin can also be wanting ahead to an even bigger crowd over the weekend which she had skilled within the VNL at Sensible Araneta Coliseum two years in the past and noticed within the males’s event Week 3 two weeks in the past.
“The gymnasium shouldn’t be full right this moment. I hope it’s gonna be full on the weekend as a result of I’ve seen the VNL males and it was fairly spectacular so I’m actually wanting ahead to and hoping to see lots of followers. However to this point it’s so good, everybody’s so good to us,” Martin mentioned.
“I used to be right here two years in the past after we performed in Manila. It was a unique expertise so I wouldn’t actually examine it nevertheless it’s actually good, there’s lots of followers and it was a reasonably wonderful gymnasium and it’s unimaginable to see how folks within the Philippines love volleyball, it’s actually apparent and it’s wonderful.”
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Sweden was despatched packing with Anna Haak and Alexandra Lazic carrying the cudgels with 15 and 14 factors, respectively.