Volleyball
Greenyard MAASEIK win 16th Belgian league title after dramatic play-offs
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Article Sun, May 12 2019
Roeselare/Maaseik, Belgium, May 12, 2019. After 15 league titles under their previous denomination, Noliko, Belgian powerhouse Greenyard MAASEIK emerged as the eventual winners of the Belgian League after the most thrilling play-offs ever against their eternal rivals Knack ROESELARE.
In the very first game of the series, MAASEIK saved four match points in Roeselare, before grabbing the tiebreak win 20-18. Knack ROESELARE clawed back in Maaseik with another 3-2 victory, before MAASEIK stunned ‘Belgian player of the year’ Matthijs Verhanneman and his teammates again: 3-0 in Roeselare.
Yet, Maaseik could not convert this advantage on home soil. Last Wednesday, Knack ROESELARE denied MAASEIK and their nearly 3,000 fans the championship party after yet another tiebreaker.
What happened on Saturday in the deciding fifth rubber was a sheer Hitchcock movie. Captain Hendrik Tuerlinckx could already feel the trophy at his fingertips when Knack ROESELARE went two sets up. However, good old Jelte Maan and his teammates made their seesaw scenario complete by serving like hell: Jolan Cox, Timo Tammemaa and setter Jan Zimmermann collected a massive amount of 15 aces for a fourth tiebreak in five matches. Even leading 10-5 in the tiebreak was not enough, since Knack ROESELARE levelled at 11-each, thanks to two video checks. A closer finish was impossible; Aleks Grozdanov brought the ‘Reds’ into a state of ecstasy by converting match point for 15-13.
Captain Jelte Maan finished his 11th season for MAASEIK in tears. “Normally, I do not cry after a game, but this victory and this title are so extremely intense… These finals were sheer madness: four tiebreaks out of five games, five away victories and in this last game the situation was dramatic for us after the first two sets. This is just incredible.”
Coach Joel Banks sank to the floor in extreme happiness after this second league title in a row for the ‘Reds’. “I cannot understand this anymore: for the first time in my life, I am crying because of a Volleyball game. This title was so extremely close and so hard fought for: all credits go to my players.”
Hendrik Tuerlinckx, outstanding for Knack ROESELARE in the last couple of games, was devastated. “I cannot describe how tough this loss is. We played such amazing play-off finals and we had everything for grabs. But my whole team was also completely exhausted after these five crazy games.”
Finals
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 2-3 (25-21, 21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 18-20)
Greenyard MAASEIK vs. Knack ROESELARE 2-3 (23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 12-15)
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 0-3 (16-25, 19-25, 23-25)
Greenyard MAASEIK vs. Knack ROESELARE 2-3 (33-35, 25-27, 25-17, 25-23, 12-15)
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 2-3 (25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 19-25, 13-15)
In the very first game of the series, MAASEIK saved four match points in Roeselare, before grabbing the tiebreak win 20-18. Knack ROESELARE clawed back in Maaseik with another 3-2 victory, before MAASEIK stunned ‘Belgian player of the year’ Matthijs Verhanneman and his teammates again: 3-0 in Roeselare.
Yet, Maaseik could not convert this advantage on home soil. Last Wednesday, Knack ROESELARE denied MAASEIK and their nearly 3,000 fans the championship party after yet another tiebreaker.
What happened on Saturday in the deciding fifth rubber was a sheer Hitchcock movie. Captain Hendrik Tuerlinckx could already feel the trophy at his fingertips when Knack ROESELARE went two sets up. However, good old Jelte Maan and his teammates made their seesaw scenario complete by serving like hell: Jolan Cox, Timo Tammemaa and setter Jan Zimmermann collected a massive amount of 15 aces for a fourth tiebreak in five matches. Even leading 10-5 in the tiebreak was not enough, since Knack ROESELARE levelled at 11-each, thanks to two video checks. A closer finish was impossible; Aleks Grozdanov brought the ‘Reds’ into a state of ecstasy by converting match point for 15-13.
Captain Jelte Maan finished his 11th season for MAASEIK in tears. “Normally, I do not cry after a game, but this victory and this title are so extremely intense… These finals were sheer madness: four tiebreaks out of five games, five away victories and in this last game the situation was dramatic for us after the first two sets. This is just incredible.”
Coach Joel Banks sank to the floor in extreme happiness after this second league title in a row for the ‘Reds’. “I cannot understand this anymore: for the first time in my life, I am crying because of a Volleyball game. This title was so extremely close and so hard fought for: all credits go to my players.”
Hendrik Tuerlinckx, outstanding for Knack ROESELARE in the last couple of games, was devastated. “I cannot describe how tough this loss is. We played such amazing play-off finals and we had everything for grabs. But my whole team was also completely exhausted after these five crazy games.”
Finals
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 2-3 (25-21, 21-25, 21-25, 25-21, 18-20)
Greenyard MAASEIK vs. Knack ROESELARE 2-3 (23-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19, 12-15)
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 0-3 (16-25, 19-25, 23-25)
Greenyard MAASEIK vs. Knack ROESELARE 2-3 (33-35, 25-27, 25-17, 25-23, 12-15)
Knack ROESELARE vs. Greenyard MAASEIK 2-3 (25-22, 25-23, 16-25, 19-25, 13-15)