Czechia 🇨🇿 vs. Belgium 🇧🇪 - Highlights | Week 3 | Women's VNL 2025

Katerina Velkova's first serve finds the net and it's the easiest of side outs for Belgium. Catches the cable, nice ball in and tipped over. Vansas was there, Martin's first swing, off the hands and out. So here's Helena Grosje, the outside hitter, plays professionally in Puerto Rico. Nice back slide, Lemons with a swing but it gets dug over and Vansas throws it down. We've seen that quite a bit all week. Why is the front row passer hitter a target in serve reception? Well a lot of times it's very difficult for them to pass and then get outside to attack. Sometimes Grosje now sends it cross court, good pass from Radovic and Martin out of the back row. The first time we've seen that offensive play today. Natalie Lemons can go on a run of her own. She's a very good server and there's a service ace. Where does she go this time? Will she target Grosje? Nope, goes to Blankova, tight pass but it falls on Belgium's side. Her jump float serve, cross court at Radovic, another out of system play. The roll shot finds the open court. Grosje serving now at 23-17. Lemons on the back slide gets the side out. Nagel's on the run, overhead to Martin, off hands. Blankova on two, blocked but covered. Brankuska's swing was digged, Martin off hands. Feliciani playing some defense and Blankova from the left side gets it done. That's how set number one finishes 25-19 and Czechia takes the opener. Energy but it was really about their transition and out of system game. Very smart at how they were attacking the block, high hands and around the defense of Belgium. It was a fairly well-rounded opening set by Czechia. Passed the ball well, worked through good offensive attacking lines from the left side, blocking as usual has been on point. Good distribution too, looking at the attack. Serving first, good swing down the line, it's Brankuska opening up set number two with the first point. So the attack point then, she rotates over to serve and Verhels coming hard out of the back row to score. Love it, that's what happens when you can pass the ball well, then you can open some things up and that back row attack. Good swing out of the back row by Martin and she scores. So the lead is back to two, 18 serving 16. Big swing, dug up. Martin scoring, good counter-attack that time and it's 19-16 on one of those. Let's see if Belgium can take advantage of it. Lemons, oh nice diving save by the server in Lemons. Oh what a block, Radovich shutting it down. I absolutely love the repeat but Radovich in the right spot, you don't see this happen a lot. Nelrova very good at attacking but that's a nice strong. Nagels on the run, goes to Radovich, she gets picked up but Kuhlberg at the net throwing it down. Is back to serve, Nagels back on, she sets to the left side and Radovich tips it over for the point. Radovich grows her to swing, stopped at the net by Kuhlberg and Belgium takes it. A nice rally back by Belgium. Oh but hold on, hold on. We have a challenge coming in now from Czechia. It'll be Katarina Valkova to get us underway. Martin high off the hands, that one almost finds the sideline but it goes out for the point. Not quite as magnified as if it was 23 all instead of just three all on the board. And Martin comes right back with a point from the back row. Finds the space between three blockers. Good ball in from Rempelberg, Nagels going over on two, looking for a touch as the ball is sent wide. Was in contact with the ball last so there is definitely a touch but I am. If I'm Czechia, I might be. Jump floats her from Lemons. Czechia scrambling, Martin can't find it. She gets it right back though and she finds that one. This is, this is her night. Let's see how they respond now as Lemons serves. Grozer is stopped at the net, Belgium is feeling it now. That was the epitome of a rest day as we get back to it. Bradovich with the serve. Vlenkova off hands. Kuhlberg, the back. Nagels down the line. Vlenkova from the back row picked up nicely. Chance for Belgium, Martin one on one and she scores. So the second opportunity to serve for Pavlova now. Her team down by six. Demayer recycled. Demayer again recycled and Martin scores off the hands. Bukovska also on court for Czechia getting the start as Nagels misses the first serve. Good serve down the line but a better pass but we've got an attack error. Hold on is there. Anticipating that 31. Trying to get a little run on their side. No whistle, got to play on. Set over and played. Martin hammering that ball cross court for the point. Coach Van Snick using all of his players here. 16-13. Grosjean scoring from the left side for Grosjean. Rampelberg good pass overhead and it stopped at the net. A huge Czechia block for Helst who has played opposite in her time with the Belgium national team. Still on the right side. Here's Demayer. Nice diving save by Grosjean. Bukovska from the left side looking for a touch. It goes long but we'll see a challenge right now. Oh the middle finger of Lemons. We see you wagging at it. So the deficit is one. 19 serving 20. Good pass from Rampelberg into the middle. Lemons little misconnection. Tipped over, chased down. Demayer to swing off the block and they get it over somehow. Chance for Belgium. Dug up. Bukovska. The kick save doesn't make it and we're tied at 20. Here in Appledorn. Good deflection. Radovich with a dig. Demayer from the left side. Grosjean's there. They set it over on two. Not able to get a swing on it. Tight set to Martin and she goes off the block for the swipe. They can see the finish line. Demayer nearly getting an ace. It'll be a free ball instead. Martin left sider goes cross court for the winner. Good serve. Off the hands. Picked up Radovich. Where's this set go? Overhead. Martin she finishes it and Belgium wins it in for their first victory in their last match of this year's VNL. What a hard-fought battle by Belgium.