{ scoreResults.ArticleMeta.Heading }

Belgium started in an excellent manner their 2022 Golden #EuroLeagueM campaign, disappointing in three sets the team of Latvia. The Red Dragons, counting on young talents as Mathijs Desmet, Seppe Rotty, Ferre Reggers, Lennert Van Elsen and Wout D’Heer, who were part of the U21 national team that last year finished at 5th place at the World Championship in this age group, delivered good performance in what became the debut for the former Croatian head coach Emanuele Zanini at the helm of Belgium.
Overall, the hosts were better on all counts, finishing with as many as 41 winnig spikes (to 36), eight kill blocks (to four), four aces to two, seizing more on their opponents’ errors (23 to 15).
Mathijs Desmet and Basil Dermaux finished both as top scorers, each one with 16 points, respectively.

Belgium started better in the game, taking an early lead at 6-4. With Seppe Rotty on the serve, the Red Dragons kept on controlling the game, while Latvia struggled with some own errors. With no big problems, and thanks to good contribution by Mathijs Desmet, the players of head coach Emanuele Zanini (forger head coach of Croatia) emerged victorious with a comfortable point difference of nine points.

The second set was a hard-fought one. None of the teams would make at least a 2-point difference until 17-16, when Belgium seized their chances on Latvia’s errors, and did their job right on block and spiking. It wasn’t enough as Kristaps Smits’ serve made it quite difficult for the Belgium reception in the moments after, and even though Desmet was impeccable, Latvia weren’t losing hope. Desmet precisely put the end of the discussion at 27-25, after a good serve by Rotty.

Inspired, the hosts stormed to a 5-1 in the third set, and despite Latvia’s attempts on attack, Belgium never looked back to eventually claim the victory at 3-0, after 25-16 in the last set.