Matthijs Verhanneman and Knack Roeselare were rushed past at the last minute by Maaseik, which starts the finals with home advantage. “Of course it was sad for us to have to give up that leading position at the last minute after months of dominance.” — © VDB
Volleyball Lotto Volley League – Final Play-offs: Greenyard Maaseik – Knack Roeselare
Roeselare –
On Thursday, Maaseik and Roeselare will start yet another battle for the national title. The team that wins three matches is national champion. An exciting battle is expected that could last longer than three games. The Limburgers have the home advantage.
“If we become champions, this will be the fifteenth title in the history of Knack Roeselare and the tenth in my career. An anniversary edition for both the club and myself. It goes without saying that we will give everything to celebrate that party,” opens Roeselare captain Matthijs Verhanneman.
Knack dominated the entire regular competition, but in the end – after a 3-1 defeat in Maaseik on the penultimate matchday of the play-offs – had to give up the leading place and home advantage in the final to the Limburgers. Greenyard surprisingly ended the play-offs last Saturday in a minor key with a tiebreak defeat in Menen.
“Of course it was sad for us to have to give up that leading position at the last minute after months of dominance,” said Verhanneman. “Maaseik must have envisioned a different dress rehearsal for the final than a grueling final play-off match and a defeat in Menen. Still, I don’t think those setbacks will play a decisive role for either of the two finalists. The finale will be a completely new event in which even the recent past hardly plays a role.”
Equal opponents
“The preparation for those crucial three or more matches in a minimum of six to a maximum of eleven days is somewhat different than normal,” Matthijs Verhanneman continues. “The basic principles remain the same. Close to what you are used to doing as a professional athlete in terms of eating, drinking, resting. Volleyball is a very tactical sport and a lot of attention is paid to tactics. Analyzing the opponent, even though both teams now know each other inside out. An example perhaps: if it turns out that you as a team are ‘stuck’ in a certain situation, such as in our most recent defeat in Maaseik, other solutions are sought and training is carried out accordingly.”
“On the other hand, volleyball is also very unpredictable. Because in a duel between two almost equal opponents, the details make the difference,” concludes the Roeselare captain. “Storage pressure, for example. The balance between taking risks and making mistakes. Sometimes a matter of centimeters. The precision in the construction, sometimes a bit of luck in the finishing. In any case, it will be three or more intense, razor-sharp classics.”