An authoritarian leader Roeselare needed no more than three sets to enforce the victory in Haasrode Leuven with great dominance and to maintain the pole position (the home advantage) for the final, which starts next Saturday.
And Maaseik? That urgently needs to recover. The first final match against Roeselare will follow on Saturday, in the lion’s den. Maaseik has had a bad dress rehearsal for the final. In the final game of the Final Four, it suffered a painful defeat against Menen in-house. Title competitor Roeselare did tank confidence in Leuven: 0-3.
Haasrode-Leuven 0
Roeselare 3
17-25, 18-25, 21-25
In sets one and two, Roeselare always took a quick distance, helped by the high Leuven error burden. The home team therefore did not score twenty runs in either set. A loss of concentration among the visitors or a better Haasrode Leuven? In the third inning, Roeselare was in any case dependent on chasing until 18-16. Coolman (two) and Fragkos (three consecutive points) thought that was sufficient. The resulting 20-23 lead was sufficient for an ultimately smooth West Flemish victory.
Haasrode-Leuven: Cosemans (2), Van Walle (5), De Paepe (3), Pardon (3), Baetens (12) and Peeters (14); libero: Bossée. Came in: Blondeel and Witvrouwen (1)
Roeselare: D’Hulst, Tuerlinckx (20), Coolman (7), Fasteland (9), Verhanneman (11) and Fragkos (16); libero: Deroey. Came in: Ahyi (1), Van Schie and Depovere.
Maaseik 1
Menen 3
28-30, 25-17, 19-25, 21-25
In the opening set, Maaseik first allowed the visitors to return from 21-18. It got four set balls afterwards, but none were used: 0-1. The only bright spot for coach Banks was the smooth win in set two. Afterwards, a rotating Maaseik, where Javad got playing time, did not take matters firmly in hand at any time. An enthusiastic Menen, with a strong Lapkov, earned a deserved victory in set three and four. A nice ending to a strong season for the West Flemish.
Maaseik: Martinez (18), McCluskey, Maan (7), Stahl (7), Cox (17), Thys (10), libero: Dronkers. Fell in: Javad, Kindt (1), Esfandiar (4), Espeland (5).
I go: Sinnesael (8), Dedeyne (7), Vanneste (9), Lankinen (4), Rotty (11), Lapkov (23), libero: Bille. Vielen in: Brems, Libert, Steur
Waremme 0
Aalst 3
20-25, 26-28, 20-25
Aalst only ran into problems in the second set. Waremme decorated three set balls after 7-3, but was unable to cash them in. The Portuguese Gomes prevented a set win for the Liège team and crowned himself with 21 points and an attacking 77 percent.
Waremme: Predius 6, Fafchamps 9, Zuidberg 7, Detandt 7, Malisse 1, Abinet 15; libero: M. Perin; came in: Evrard 4, P. Perin 1
Aalst: D’Heer 7, Van de Velde 7, Van Hoyweghen, Van de Voorde 10, Rybicki 15, Gomes 21; libero: Verstraete; came in: Wiltenburg
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