Sport is sometimes more than winning or losing. Sometimes sport is simply a pure celebration. Especially when two teams from the same club get to take on the absolute top of Belgian volleyball. The Belgian Cup brings the men’s teams in Booischot and Ghent not only unexpectedly big fixtures, but also a sensational experience. Lasting, memorable events that bring together the whole club and, by extension, the entire region. Enjoying the highest level together, dreaming together of an upset and being proud together of the club colours.

The Ghent marathon
We start this unique cup weekend in Ghent, where both the A and B teams of Caruur have reached the round of 16 of the Belgian Cup. Exceptional, special and already unforgettable. Within seven days, coach Engelschenschilt — coach of both the A and B teams — has to complete six matches. That means he has to spend hours preparing the right tactics, analysing scouting data and match footage, and hopefully finding some sleep in between.

The battle of attrition begins on Friday evening with Caruur B’s cup meeting against Decospan Menen. Saturday with Caruur A against Golazo Haasrode-Leuven. Sunday a league match for Caruur B against Hellvoc Hemiksem. Wednesday, the A-team must try to stop Greenyard Maaseik, and Sunday follows the next clash against Guibertin. Moreover, Caruur B faces Feniks Haacht on Sunday. In between, the U19 boys are still in action in the Champions League for youth.

“This is really exceptional, this is extreme,” Luc Engelschenschilt realises. “Those who know me know that I study every match very punctually and examine it in minute detail. Not everything falls solely on my shoulders. Fortunately, my assistants Rutwin Willems and Tim Degruyter take over tasks, simply because I cannot be everywhere at once.”

Caruur Ghent can — when everyone is ready to play — count on a broad core of twenty-five players. Five young talents of just eighteen (Akos Paridaens, Daan Lievens, Gauthier Aerts, Kyan De Rechter and libero Raul Sophie) have a dual affiliation. They balance weekly between five group training sessions for the A and B teams, supplemented by three strength training sessions. This cup competition is not only a physical challenge, it also creates an administrative maze. U19 players, for example, may participate with the A-team in the Belgian Cup. U21 players may not, but for the Belgian league matches they may again.

“We are incredibly proud of the participation of two Caruur teams in this phase of the Belgian Cup,” says Luc Engelschenschilt. “This will be pure promotion for volleyball and pure advertising for the club. More than a hundred people signed up to come and eat on Friday. The B team gives the A team oxygen. We are really proud that our first national team gets to take on the current cup winner Menen — there is no better fixture — and we are also proud that our League team faces the Leuven side a day later, which this season — rightly — wants to reach the cup final.”

Both teams are completely renewed and yet they have already recorded remarkable results. The A-team performed brilliantly last weekend, with very mature volleyball and a fine win against Waremme. The week before, the 2-3 result against Leuven was a pure stunt. Coach Tuerlinckx’s team will undoubtedly want to correct that unexpected lost point. Coach Lemay of Menen does not want to be surprised either. It promises to be a top weekend in the Edugo Arena.

The breeding ground of Booischot
A little further on, Mendo Booischot is preparing for a similar popular celebration. The club name stands in full for ‘United Towards Victory’, although everyone agrees that a win for the B team against national champions Greenyard Maaseik is a utopia. Yet Sunday will be an absolute highlight in the De Lichten sports hall. Two cup matches within the same club on the same day, it remains historic.

“And our women’s team plays the day before against Amigos Zoersel (League) in the context of the Antwerp Cup,” notes Jarne Frans, coach of the B team. “Sunday afternoon follows the double cup confrontation with our men’s team from second national against Maaseik — they do not need an introduction — and the Mendo men from first national take on Nijvel, an absolute top team from the division.”

“To get to this phase of the cup competition, we have already had to pull off two surprises with our B team (N2). Both Puurs (N1) and Vamos Stekene (also N1) bit their teeth on Booischot’s green team. Mendo A eliminated Machelen and VC Zoersel.”

Jarne Frans sees the double cup fixture as the ultimate reward for the club. “Booischot may be geographically modest — ‘in the middle of nowhere’ — but in the Belgian volleyball world we have acquired a positive name recognition. Here, honest operation prevails. No false promises but a club culture where volunteers form the foundation. With our new sponsor Taelman Construct, we want to maintain the tradition as a warm club. Everyone puts their shoulders to the wheel and does something to help the association. With a lot of commitment, combined with an enormous passion for volleyball. That makes it so beautiful.”

This is how the well-known breeding ground at Mendo has been created for years. Club icon Ruben Duwaerts, active in Booischot for twelve years, saw the club’s greatest talents climb to the absolute top during the past decades. Boys like Joppe Van Langendonck, U21 beach volleyball world champion, and Bob Douwen, a legend in Booischot, learned the trade here. Wout Van Dijck and Antony Moga (Antwerp, Achel), Gertjan Van de Velde (Antwerp, Ghent), Christophe Witvrouwen (Leuven, Ghent), Lennert Van Elsen (Leuven, Roeselare), Arnor Van Leemputten (Achel, Haacht), Ilian Sterckx (Antwerp, Guibertin), and recently Jarne Frans and Siebe Penninckx (Antwerp) were trained at Mendo by renowned coaches who are now active elsewhere. We only name a few: Michel Mariën and Dries Meurisse (Topsportschool), Jan Vanvenckenray (Maaseik, Achel) and Raf Vekemans (Asterix Avo, Topsportschool, Antwerp).

“This is the second time we get to welcome a national champion in our sports hall,” concludes Jarne Frans. “Last year, Roeselare’s visit attracted six hundred spectators to the hall. Now Maaseik is coming to visit. These are gala matches. We regard it as a pure reward for all the hard-working people, players and female players of this club.”

Text: Walter Vereeck
Photo: archive