Posts by njvhaeck

Quote from YavorD

To be fair, Grozdanov didn't enjoy much court time. And he was the youngest and least experienced of all OHs, usually the one sitting on the bench, so we can't be harsh on him. Yes, he wasn't as spectacular as Noliko's management had expected after all. However, to prove to you that he is not useless, right now he is in a discussion with Vero Volley Monza in the Italian Serie A. They must've seen something Noliko couldn't The guy is only 20, maybe he will show something soon, let's wait and see.

You're completely right, he hadn't got enough court time this season for showing himself. But the time he played didn't convince me. I hope he will show something in his further career, I wish him all the best !

Quote from YavorD

I can't say a lot about Noliko's policy because I lack information. But I think this is the right way to "rejuvenate" the squad, not what they did last year. Last year they signed youngsters only, threw them in all tournaments and they crumbled painfully, finishing perhaps the weakest season in decades or at least since Noliko gained European recognition. They struggled even in the domestic league against Lennik and Antwerp, let alone Roeselare. The best way to integrate younger players is to keep/sign 2-3 more experienced they can evolve along. Besides, Pinheiro is just 30, which is totally fine for a setter, even if opposing to their last year's policy, of course. But I guess you are right, last year's fiasco made them reconsider the situation and slow down the rejuvenation for a while, even if players like Padar, Parkinson, Lecat, Lushtak, Hohne (if all or some stay) preserve the club's ambitions.

Just for information: Lushtaku, Parkinson, Derkoningen, Grozdanov and Gotch leave Noliko Maaseik. Especially Grozdanov and Lushtaku performed last season quite badly (Lushtaku eventually thinks to play as OH in his home country Sweden, this says much about his setter skills...). Derkoningen is kicked out because of inappropriate behaviour.

Noliko is turning 180° in their transfer policy: signing experienced players who already have some history in the club (Pinheiro, Wijsmans). I'm curious about the connection between these two players. Good transfers!

Eemi Tervaportti leaves Knack Roeselare after 3 successfull years. The club has found a new replacement: the Spanish setter Angel Trinidad de Haro left TV Bühl and joins Knack Roeselare next season.

TimHH, you know the German league very well. This is a good transfer for Knack Roeselare?

Quote from YavorD

Belgian Cup Final

Antwerpen

Volley Behappy2 Asse-Lennik - Precura Antwerpen 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-9)

Lennik: Overbeeke 14, Andringa 14; Antwerpen: Moreau 13

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VC behappy2 Asse-Lennik completely trashed Topvolley Callant Antwerpen in the Cup Final. The Cup Final was the biggest volleyball event ever organised in Belgium with 13 000 spectators in the biggest stadium of Belgium (Sportpaleis in Antwerp (!) ). One hour and 17 minutes later the match already was over. Last set 25-9 and last five points all errors from players of Antwerp.

Stats: http://telegraaf2.tss-sport.co…UP/&BVBH33-cup_REPORT.htm

Some remarkable things:
- Moreau (Antwerp) with 13 points best scorer for Antwerp, but only 31 % attack efficiency (he committed 13 errors in attack including 9 blocks)
- Asse-Lennik made 17 blocks, Antwerp just 3
- Poor performance of Antwerp outside hitters: Van Walle, Jorna and Van Rekom all made 8 points in total, Andringa and Baetens of Asse-Lennik made 24 points in total (3 times more than Antwerp)
- Diefenbach (Asse-Lennik) somehow always touched the ball when he blocks and that have been rewarded with 6 kill blocks
- 1993 was the last year Asse-Lennik won a prize in Belgian Volleyball (Championship title or Cup Final)
- 1993 also was the year that the father of Seppe Baetens (Jo Baetens) deceased. Jo was in 1993 a volleyball player of Asse-Lennik, just like his son nowadays.
- In the CEV Cup Asse-Lennik plays against Top Volley Callant Antwerpen! Hopefully the match will be more intense and the players of Antwerp can handle the pressure.

Some post Italian league news:

Before the first World League matches of Belgium, a newspaper took an interview with Sam Deroo about his last season in Modena. In this interview he says that it was a really frustrating season and that he definitely wants to leave the Italian club as soon as possible. Angelo Lorenzetti, coach of Modena, stated during an interview in a local Italian newspaper that Deroo earns too much money for his skills. The club asked Lorenzetti that he excuses himself to Deroo, but he didn't do that. With the transfer of N'Gapeth, Deroo suddenly was a reserve player. When Kovacevic had too much pain in his shoulder, the coach still put Kovacevic on the court and Deroo on the bench. Lorenzetti didn't trust Deroo anymore, so now Deroo leaves the club as soon as possible.

I personally think Deroo isn't a world class player, but he has some very good volleyball skills for his young age. Few people don't play on that level with his age. When someone treats such a young person with a lack of respect, then he also don't deserve respect from players and normal people like you and me.

Leonis Dedeyne (B, OH) signs a contract with Knack Roeselare for next season.

Quote from flyingdutchman

I can't believe my eyes...I didn't expect such a huge mistake by Noliko-management, transferring a headcoach,who is incapable of communicating in English

Who is responsible for that mistake?

Noliko thought they had an Italian top coach with a lot of experience and that he will learn English quickly. Big mistake, I guess... His knowledge and skills about coaching and training is excellent, I have no doubt about that. But a good communication between the coach and the players and vice-versa is another thing. After Noliko-management sacked him, some players were relieved with the new Belgian coach.

Quote from YavorD

Thank you very much for the extensive review. I enjoyed reading it. I am really happy for Antwerpen, they broke the two-horse race. I like Noliko and I would be disappointed if they miss the Champions League, but perhaps Roeselare and Antwerpen deserve to be there more. I am also glad to hear good things about van Harskamp, we had a discussion some time ago that he isn't a good player and I disagreed. He might have not made it to a big team (except Perugia), but I stay behind my words that he is a good setter. Good for him and his team that they made such an impact in the Belgian league. I would love to watch him in the CL with Antwerpen, providing that he stays there, of course.

Van Harskamp did a good job this season. He's a sub-top setter: not the level comparable with great setters like Bruno and De Cecco, but in sub-top leagues (Belgian League etc.), he can make the diffence with his sets. Next season he will stay in Antwerpen. He already confirmed that during an interview.

Fourth match:
Top Volley Antwerpen was leading 2-1 in the best-of-five Play Offs final against Knack Roeselare and this match was played in Antwerpen. It was a great and very close match, but the experience and the "big bench" of Knack Roeselare was decisive. Everyone agreed that this match was real propaganda for Belgian volleyball. Tuerlinckx and Van Hirtum (Roeselare), Ditlevsen and Baetens (Antwerpen) were the scoring machines. Big dissapointment for Top Volley Antwerpen.

Score: 1/3 (25/22, 23/25, 25/27, 23/25). Stats: http://telegraaf2.tss-sport.co…PO/&1161935-PO_REPORT.htm

Fifth match:
This match was decisive. The hunger for the title in both teams was enormous, but Knack Roeselare managed to control the stress more than Antwerpen. We can't speak of a real match, because Roeselare was better in every aspect of the game. In the beginning of set 1 and 2, it was close. But at the second time out, Roeselare already had few points more than Antwerpen. The third set started with a blitz start of Roeselare. Antwerpen couldn't find the rhythm of their first two matches, so it was an easy task for Knack Roeselare to become champions. After scoring the last point, E. Rousseaux (coach of Roeselare) cried almost 5 minutes. He couldn't speak a word and his wife had to comfort him. Also tears for Baetens (Antwerpen), because he knew Antwerpen was so close for winning the championship, but they didn't complete it.

Score: 3/0 (25/21, 25/21, 25/20)

Conclusion of this season for Roeselare, Antwerpen and Maaseik:

• Knack Roeselare had a wonderful year. First place at their poule in Champions League (they didn't lost a match), they lost the Cup Final, but they managed to become the Champions of Belgium. Very homogenous team with Tuerlinckx as leader and Tervaportti as an excellent setter. Also the great bench for OHs was decisive (Van Hirtum, Verhanneman, Rousseaux, Claes/Guzman). Largest share in winning the champions title: Emile Rousseaux, the coach of the team.

• Top Volley Antwerpen had their most succesful season ever. With a bigger budget, they've won the Cup Final and they managed to qualify for the Play Offs Final and the Champions League next year. Van Harskamp as central player with Ditlevsen as scoring machine and Van Bemmelen and Koelewijn as big middles. But personally, the best player of Antwerpen was Baetens. Very emotional player, one who never stops playing and always work.

• Noliko Maaseik had a rather bad season. Bad transfer policy (Pereyra was one of the most unsuccesful transfers in years for Noliko Maaseik), problems with coach (cfr. Di Pinto), injuries (Maan and Hoho) and no true leader in the team. During the Play Offs, Maan and Hoho returned and they played better. Season to forget.

Rumours and transfers

• Rumour: Tuerlinckx (OPP, Roeselare) next season in Resovia Rzeszow (POL).

• Rumour: Koelewijn (M, Antwerpen) next season in Vfb Friedrichshafen (GER).

• Confirmed: Broshog (M, Moerser VC, GER), Finoli (P, Untref, ARG) and Padar (OPP, Kecskeméti RC, HUN) next season in Noliko Maaseik

Quote from YavorD

I couldn't follow the Belgian league, so I was kind of shocked when Noliko missed both the Cup final and now the league final playoff. What is even more surprising is that Precura Antwerpen is leading by 2 victories to 1 against Roeselare. I am really curious to know what went wrong for Noliko, why and how they got knocked out so early and whether Antwerpen are really that strong.

What went wrong for Noliko? Different reasons. At the begin of this season they signed Vincenzo di Pinto as coach. After the devastating loss against Haasrode Leuven (Liga B) in the Cup of Belgium, they sacked him already. Di Pinto couldn't speak an English word, so the communication with the team was bad. After this, they signed Erik Verstraten as coach.

After a few weeks, Hoho felt down during a match against Knack Roeselare. He has heart problems (cfr. cardiac arrest 2009), but his defribillator saved his life. But he couldn't play for few weeks. Also Maan was out for few months, because of surgery. These two leaders of the team were out during a part of the season, so there wasn't a leader anymore in the rest of the team. During the playoffs, both of the players were back. Maan did a very good job as leader of the team, but lacked play time for making the difference.

Also a bad transfer policy was important for missing the cup final. I expected much more of Pereyra. Some matches he was good, but the other games he played awfully bad. Lecat is too young for the starting six, Menzel had enormous ups and downs and personally I think Valkiers is not a good setter. Devany is even worse than Valkiers. Only the MBs (Raymaekers and Parkinson) were good on some moments. And in this team, there wasn't a real leader.

So what was the problem with Noliko? A coach who couldn't communicate with his players, a bad transfer policy, injuries and bad luck.

Topvolley Antwerpen on the other hand, did a magnificent job during this season. With a bigger budget, they signed some good players (Van Harskamp, Van Bemmelen,...). The MBs are the best of the Belgian League (Van Bemmelen and Koelewijn) and they have all a very good mentality. After the loss of Noliko in the cup, it was an easy task to get to the Cup Final. During the playoffs, it was exciting who will join Knack Roeselare in the playoff final: Noliko or Antwerpen. At the beginning there was a gap of points between these teams, but at the end Antwerpen had just 1 point more than Noliko.

The first match of the play off finals was a strange match: Knack Roeselare (home) was paralyzed by stress, so it was an easy task for Antwerpen for defeating Roeselare. The next match, Roeselare played better (but not in their best level), so it was a close match. Antwerpen won. Wednesday the third match was played and now Roeselare completely trashed Antwerpen at home. Tomorrow the fourth match will be played in Antwerpen. I expect a close match. When Roeselare plays on their best level (cfr. Champions League level), Roeselare will win. If not, Antwerpen will win and they will become champion.

Belgium, after winning the European League, would play an intercontinental tournament against Puerto Rico, Venezuela or Dominican Republic next week. After winning that game, the winner plays against Japan to earn a spot in World League 2014.

Yesterday, the FIVB announced that this intercontinental tournament is cancelled, because they hadn't found a country who could organize this tournament. This is false, because Belgium did everything to organize this tournament in Antwerp.

Now, the FIVB will look if Belgium deserves the spot in the World League. The Belgian players are very dissapointed and angry, because the amateurism of FIVB destroyed the dreams of these players. As a small country, the Red Dragons worked very hard to earn this spot and after winning the European League, the future was bright. But now, all the players are devastated.

FIVB = AMATEURISM!

Belgium:

CL: Knack Roeselare, Noliko Maaseik

CEV Cup: Prefaxis Menen, Schelde-Natie Precura Antwerpen

Challenge Cup: VC Euphony Asse-Lennik

Quote from Armel

Any source for Egleskalns in Chaumont ?

Sporza.be

But it's a rumor. Kristof Hoho from Prefaxis Menen said this rumor during an interview with Sporza.

Quote from njvhaeck

Hendrik Tuerlinckx stays two more years in Knack Roeselare.

Hermans Egleskalns (Noliko Maaseik) probably next season in France. Club is unknown.

Source: sporza.be

Edit: Egleskalns is probably going to Chaumont.

Hendrik Tuerlinckx stays two more years in Knack Roeselare.

Hermans Egleskalns (Noliko Maaseik) probably next season in France. Club is unknown.

Source: sporza.be

Eemi Tervaportti signed for two more years in Knack Roeselare.

Pieter Coolman and Joppe Paulides signed for one more year in Knack Roeselare.

Quote from forzalube

source?

Belgian newspaper.

Kevin Klinkenberg (Noliko Maaseik) next season in Tours VB.

Knack Roeselare has a lot of experience in Champions League and they deserved to get a wild card instead of giving it to a Finnish club with no experience or a Dutch club with no money.

Everyone is complaining that Belgium and Germany are represented with 3 teams in the CL, but these teams have better players, more money and more experience then an unknown Finnish or Dutch team.

After departure of Vital Heynen to German NT, Brecht Van Kerckhove will be the new coach of Noliko Maaseik. Assistant coach will be Stefan Hübner, ex-top-player and assistant of the German NT.