Van Maurik confirms huge potential at North Macedonia 2024

Two years ago, the Netherlands had one of the most consistent overall performances at the IHF Women’s Junior World Championship and at the IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, sealing the bronze medal in the former competition and missing out by the skin of their teeth in the latter, ending up on the fourth place in the final standings.

That proved a clear-cut approach for the European side, who have strong focused on player development with their HandbalAcademie project, delivering excellent results. And one of the graduates has been lighting up the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, helping the Dutch side secure a quarter-finals berth while clinching five wins out of five matches.

Two years ago, also in North Macedonia, at the 2022 IHF Women’s Youth World Championship, right back Alieke van Maurik announced herself as one of the players with the biggest potential from the Dutch side, finishing on the fifth place in the top assists standings, delivering 26 assists in eight matches.

Now, van Maurik has added another dimension to her game. Not only the right back is the top assists provider for the Dutch side at the 2024 IHF Women’s Junior World Championship, with 12 passes, she is also the European side’s top goal scorer, with 23 goals.

In total, van Maurik had a direct hand in 35 of the Netherlands’ 146 goals, or 24%, being the fulcrum of the attack for the team that are cheerfully supported by friends and family in North Macedonia, who are painting the arenas orange, in the traditional colour of the Dutch team.

“It is always nice to have everybody there supporting us, you can see, they have banners for each and every one of us and their support is amazing. Of course, we are also giving all to deliver good performances and get as far as possible in the competition,” says van Maurik.

Indeed, the Netherlands have been one of the best teams of the competition so far at North Macedonia 2024, one of the three teams to have a five-match winning streak, as they are gearing up for a crunch match against Sweden, trying to deliver another semi-finals berth and extending their chance to win a medal.

“We are in a good moment and we are trying to be as efficient as possible. Sure, winning a medal would be nice, because is very close together, we are playing as a team and doing our best to try to get as far as possible,” says van Maurik.

The 19-year-old right back has already made her debut for the senior national team and is clearly seen as a future core member of the squad, with the Dutch senior women’s team assistant coach Ricardo Clarijs, also working as the head coach for the junior and youth sides.

Yet the competition is fierce, with two of van Maurik’s models on this position, Laura van der Heijden and Dione Housheer, currently running the show on the right back for the senior team. But with plenty of potential and already being more and experienced, van Maurik’s time will surely come.

“I mean Laura van der Heijden and Dione Housheer are absolutely excellent players, they both have qualities which complement each other, therefore, right now, it is very difficult to be in the senior national team. I admire both of them and I look up to them, because there is a lot to learn from them. And hopefully I can be there one day,” says van Maurik.

“I will work as hard as possible and do the best I can to improve and get into the senior team, which I think is the dream for every player in the Netherlands, who is starting handball.”

As van Maurik made her first steps in the junior and youth teams, but also in the senior team, her development will continue from this summer with another big challenge. So far, the 19-year-old right back has played only in her home country at H.V. Quintus. But as many Dutch players, she will switch to a better league.

Van Maurik has signed with German powerhouse BV Borussia 09 Dortmund, where other Dutch players like Kelly Dulfer, Inger Smits, Rinka Duijndam, Yara ten Holte or even van der Heijden featured before. And the excitement could not be clearer.

“I cannot wait to start to play there, it is a huge step for me, and the girls already talked to me and said that they are waiting for me, therefore it is a big challenge, but one that can really help me develop and be better as a player in the future,” concludes the Dutch right back.