Belgium announced its arrival at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship with a commanding 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 win over Ukraine in their Pool F opener in Quezon City on Sunday.
Entering the tournament as the 17th-ranked team in the world rankings, the Red Dragons put on a clinic against 14th-ranked Ukraine, dominating across the stat sheet.
Belgium outscored their opponents 40-31 in spikes, 10-5 in kill blocks, and 6-4 in aces, despite committing 19 unforced errors compared to Ukraine’s 15.
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“It’s a really big deal to be here. We’ve worked really hard for this moment, especially for this game,” said 22-year-old opposite Ferre Reggers, who led the way with a match-high 23 points, including three kill blocks and a 56-percent success rate on attacks.
“Belgium is a really small country, and volleyball isn’t that big here, so we’re really proud of the team we put together that can go far.”
Outside hitter Seppe Rotty was electric at the service line, registering five aces en route to 13 points, while team captain Sam Deroo contributed 12 points.
Reggers, reflecting on the team’s performance, added, “I want Belgium to be remembered as an energetic team and a team that never stops fighting. We showed that today. Even in difficult moments, we tried to stop them with the energy we have.”
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For Ukraine, opposite Vasyl Tupchii was the lone double-digit scorer with 14 points.
The win also nudged the FIVB rankings: Ukraine dropped to 16th, losing 14.74 points, while Belgium remained 17th, closing the gap to under three points
#WATCH: Opposite hitter Ferre Reggers is confident underdogs Belgium can go all the way in #MWCH2025 🇧🇪🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/mrwIrzNvgs
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 14, 2025
