Volleyball Lotto Volley League Haasrode Leuven – Roeselare 1-3
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Haasrode Leuven was able to contain the tension for a long time, but in the end it just fell short to shake Roeselare. The team from Leuven lost 1-3, but will mainly think back to some golden opportunities in the second set.
Kenny Hennes
A small damper for the game, because Simon Peeters had to encourage his teammates from the reserve bench once again. The reception corner player suffered from his old thigh injury again last week and was kept aside as a precaution. The ideal opportunity for 19-year-old Lennert Beelaert to show what he has to offer, although that is not so obvious against the express train from Roeselare.
Certainly not when you saw how the West Flemish started the match in their well-known authoritarian style. Main attacker Kukartsev in particular was of gold value in set 1, both offensively (6 out of 8) and blocking (4 killblocks): the Argentinian showed his calling card at 10-15 and 16-21, even though VHL really did its very best to keep Roeselare at to legs.
“The coach had told us beforehand that a big mountain was coming our way, so we knew what to do. I think we put them under good pressure for three sets”, says young talent Lennert Beelaert, who stood up well under the constant pressure and was absolutely not targeted in reception, which happened more often in the first round. “That was a good sign I think. I can look back on my race with satisfaction, although some mistakes still need to be corrected.”
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Missed opportunity
And many more people from Leuven must have thought that when they analyzed the second set. Because after a failed first tempo attack by Laszlo De Paepe it became 19-18 and not 20-17, so that Roeselare came back into the set, survived two set balls and after an amazing final it still ended at 28-30. “We just lack that little bit of luck, although it is also their experience that is decisive. Very unfortunate if you watch our third set, because it was really good. In hindsight, there was perhaps more to it”, says Beelaert.
In set four, the fat was from the soup at VHL. Tired, but still encouraged by a packed room, it turned out to be no longer up to Roeselare, which, after the 3-7, inexorably headed for the tenth consecutive victory in the competition. Although Haasrode Leuven was able to close the match with the idea that after Guibertin and Maaseik, Roeselare was the only team that could steal a set. “Is that right? Not bad, huh. Anyway, I have a good feeling about this game. Let us now continue to work hard to get through the coming weeks with the same feeling”, concludes Beelaert.