Azerbaijan Women produced a stirring comeback to beat Belgium Women 3-2 in front of a passionate home crowd at the 2015 European Games, winning a five-set battle at the Crystal Hall in Baku. After dropping the second and third sets, the host nation rallied to take the fourth 25-20 and the decider 15-11, securing a result that electrified the tournament.

Match Overview

Azerbaijan began brightly, taking the opening set 25-21, but Belgium responded with real authority, claiming the second 25-22 and edging a tight third 25-23 to move within a set of victory. That is when the home side found another gear. Azerbaijan dominated the fourth set from the midway point and then controlled the fifth from start to finish, closing out the match 15-11 to the delight of a vocal Baku crowd. It was a victory built on resilience, serving aggression and one of the best individual performances of the group stage.

Set-by-Set Breakdown

• Set 1 – Azerbaijan 25-21: Azerbaijan's block and the energy of the home support gave them an early edge.
• Set 2 – Belgium 25-22: Belgium improved their reception and began converting transition opportunities.
• Set 3 – Belgium 25-23: A tense set with multiple lead changes, decided by two late Belgian kills.
• Set 4 – Azerbaijan 25-20: Azerbaijan raised their serving intensity and pulled away after 14-14.
• Set 5 – Azerbaijan 15-11: The hosts won the first three points and never relinquished the lead.

Key Moments

The match flipped in the fourth set at 14-14. Azerbaijan won four straight rallies — two via blocks, one through an ace and one on a thunderous attack from the opposite position — to take an 18-14 lead they never surrendered. In the deciding set, Azerbaijan raced to a 6-2 advantage and, although Belgium closed to 9-7, a service run and a pair of defensive stops restored a four-point cushion. The final point came on a Belgian attack that sailed long, sparking celebrations around the arena.

Tactical Story

Azerbaijan's tactical shift after the third set was decisive. Their serving became noticeably more aggressive, targeting Belgium's weaker passing zones and forcing the setter to operate away from the net. That, in turn, allowed the Azerbaijani block to set earlier and more confidently, resulting in a flurry of stuff blocks in the fourth and fifth sets. Belgium had controlled the middle portion of the match with disciplined side-out volleyball and intelligent use of the quick attack, but their reception deteriorated under pressure late on, and their attacking options narrowed to predictable high balls to the wings.

Standout Players

Azerbaijan's opposite hitter delivered a standout performance, scoring heavily in every set and producing the decisive kills in the fifth. The team's libero was outstanding in the back court, repeatedly turning Belgian attacks into counter-attacking opportunities, while the captain's leadership visibly steadied the side after the third-set setback. For Belgium, the outside hitters had produced excellent returns in the second and third sets, and their middle blockers caused real problems with quick attacks, but the team could not sustain that efficiency once Azerbaijan's serving pressure increased.

Tournament Impact

The win gave Azerbaijan two valuable points and a significant psychological boost in front of their home supporters, strengthening their position in the race for a quarterfinal berth. Belgium, who had already shown their durability in a five-set victory over Poland, collected a point for the loss but were left to rue a match that slipped away after they had led two sets to one. In a pool where four of six teams advance and tiebreakers can hinge on the finest margins, Azerbaijan's ability to win the long matches — and their home-crowd advantage at the Crystal Hall — made them one of the most intriguing stories of the 2015 European Games women's volleyball tournament.