Reggers and Deroo fire Belgium into EuroVolley quarterfinals

The final two quarterfinal places at CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men were up for grabs in Torino on Monday, and Belgium seized one of them in style. After dropping the opening set against Czechia, the Belgians stormed back to win 3-1, turning their eighthfinal clash into a block party with 15 points from the net. Ferre Reggers led all scorers with 24 points, while captain Sam Deroo provided crucial firepower as Belgium booked their first EuroVolley quarterfinal since 2017. Later today, Serbia and Slovenia will battle for the final ticket to the last eight.

Belgium - Czechia 3-1 (20-25, 26-24, 25-14, 25-15)

Belgium, winners of Pool C in Tampere, were aiming to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2017. Czechia, meanwhile, had finished fourth in the highly competitive Pool A in Modena but were determined to show that their pool position meant little in this eighthfinal battle. Czechia made a flying start, playing with confidence in attack and recording an impressive 78% success rate in the set. Patrik Indra and Antonín Klimes led the way, while the Czechs also applied pressure with their block (scoring four points in this element) to race to a 10-5 lead.  Belgium, led by Ferre Reggers, who scored five points in the set, tried to spark a comeback. Aces from Stijn D’Hulst and Reggers brought the Belgians twice within two points at 11-9 and 15-13, but Czechia responded immediately on both occasions, restoring their advantage with an almost flawless performance to move 14-9 and then 17-13 ahead. With Czechia firmly in control at 21-16, captain Patrik Indra continued to lead the charge, finishing the set with an impressive nine points at an 80% success rate in attack.

The second set began with a fierce battle, as Belgium stepped up their blocking game and continued with powerful spikes through Ferre Reggers and Sam Deroo. Czechia responded through Patrik Indra and Lukáš Vasina, keeping the teams locked at 13-13. Belgium finally created some breathing room when Reggers put the Czech defence under heavy pressure from the service line to help his team move 17-13 ahead. Captain Sam Deroo then took charge, becoming Belgium’s leading scorer with eight points, including seven kills, as the Belgians stayed in front at 24-21. Czechia refused to give up and fought back to level the score at 24-24. However, two costly errors in the closing rallies handed Belgium the set 26-24, allowing the Belgians to level the match.

Belgium carried their momentum into the third set, once again making their block a key weapon (four killing blocks in the set). Powered by the duo of Ferre Reggers and Sam Deroo, the Belgians moved 11-7 ahead as Czechia appeared to lose some of their confidence. Head coach Jiri Novak responded with a few changes to his line-up, but Belgium remained firmly in control at 16-12. The Belgians continued to dictate the pace and closed out the set 25-14 to take a 2-1 lead in the match. Deroo once again led Belgium’s scoring with eight points in the set, while Reggers and Seppe Rotty added four apiece.

With a place in the quarterfinals within reach, Belgium made a flying start to the fourth set. Samuel Fafchamps put Czechia under pressure from the service line, delivering two aces in his run as Belgium raced to an 8-3 lead. The Belgians continued to dominate at the net, extending their advantage to 11-5 with their block. From that point, Belgium were firmly in control, confidently pushing towards the finish at 17-10, while Czechia struggled to rediscover their rhythm. Ferre Reggers was on fire, scoring eight points in the set, including three blocks, and his third killing block sealed the set 25-15 and sent Belgium into the EuroVolley quarterfinals.

Reggers topped the scoring charts with 24 points, including 18 kills at a 53% success rate, four blocks and two aces. He was followed by Sam Deroo with 17 points. For Czechia, Patrik Indra and Lukaa Vašina contributed 14 points apiece, but it was not enough to keep their team alive.