European Championship-2023. Women

Group A. Third round. August 21

Ghent (Flanders Sports Arena). Belgium

Belgium — Ukraine 0-3 (18:25, 23:25, 23:25)

After the victory over Hungary, the blue and yellows, of course, wanted to continue the successful streak. In the third round of the European Championship 2023, they met with the hosts of Group A, the Belgians, which made the task of our volleyball players more difficult. However, no one said that it was impossible!

The players of Ukraine started this match powerfully: on Diana Meliushkina's serve, the score was 0:3. After two consecutive successful actions over the net by Svetlana Dorsman (1:5), the coach of the rivals, Chris Wansnik, took a timeout.

The amazing way in which our girls built their attacks, trying to show combinational volleyball, but the Belgians were also not far behind. Soon, an ace by Celine Van Gestel helped reduce her team's deficit to one point — 6:7.

Despite all the efforts of the hosts to equalize the parity, the volleyball players of Ukraine confidently led the game and at the equator of the set decided to make an incredible rush — 9:17. Another 30-second break and change of setter did not help Belgium to save the set - 18:25.

The organized block and reliable defense of our athletes became a real problem for the hosts - 1:4. Once again in this match they found themselves in the role of those who catch up. Belgium's attack leader Britt Gerbots later adjusted her sights. One of her shots from behind the offensive line tied the score at 12:12.

Well, then the game of nerves began: at a certain moment, Ivan Petkov's players were behind by four points (21:17). But, having withstood the pressure, they found the strength to turn the course of this set in their favor - 23:25.

In the next set, the blue-yellow team continued to dictate their terms on the court to their opponents. The Belgians looked helpless trying to oppose the attacks of our attackers, in particular Nadia Kodola. In addition, they also made a lot of unforced errors, which led to the triumph of the Ukrainian national team - 23:25.

The victory over Belgium allowed our volleyball players to take second place in Group A:

Starting line-up of Ukraine: Sharhorodska, Dorsman (c), Meliushkyna, Milenko, Kodola, Kraiduba, Niemtseva (l). 

Starting line-up of Belgium: Marlis Jansens, Natalie Lemmens, Jutta Van de Viver, Britt Herbots, Celine Van Gestel (c), Silke Van Avermaet, Britt Rampelberg.