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Germany stay on track with second four-set win in Apeldoorn

Germany managed their second four-set win at the continental Olympic qualifier in Apeldoorn. In a hard-fought Pool B match, they emerged with a 3-1 (33-31, 26-24, 24-26, 25-22) victory over Belgium. With Louisa Lippmann on fire at the net, Germany recovered from a six-point deficit to catch up at 20-20 and take the lead for the first set point at 24-23. Later on, in the overtime, the Germans denied as many as six Belgian set points before regaining the lead.

Lippmann hammered an amazing 14 points in the first set, but it was a kill block by Camilla Weitzel that nailed the winner at 33-31. In the second set, the battle was so fierce that the lead changed hands several times and the gap never exceeded two points. This time Belgium were the first to reach set point, but Germany denied it with a spike by Lippmann, after which Hanna Orthmann scored two in a row in attack (towards a set total of eight) to shape the 26-24 win. Belgium returned the favour at the conclusion of the third set, which was as competitive. At a double match point for the opponents, they did not fold, scored four consecutive points, crowning Marlies Janssens’s great serving with an ace for 26-24.

Belgium recovered from an early four-point deficit in the fourth set, but after 13-13 Germany broke away again. The Yellow Tigers denied three consecutive match points, but on the fourth one Lippmann put the ball on the floor for the 25-22 close towards a match high total of 30 points. Belgium’s Britt Herbots finished with 26.