This Saturday night, the Eagles traveled to the home of the last-placed team, Narbonne, for the 11th matchday of the Marmara Spike League. The Niçois fell in this encounter, losing 3 sets to 1 (20-25/26-24/25-22/25-17).
The aim for Nice Volley Ball was to continue the good week. On Tuesday, the Eagles defeated Saint-Jean d’Illac in a closely contested match (3-2). The Niçois wanted to achieve a flawless performance and were riding their positive momentum against Narbonne. The Narbonne team is the bottom of the league, firmly last with ten defeats in as many matches this season.
A good collective start for the Eagles
The match started evenly. Neither Narbonne nor Nice managed to pull ahead in the score. The Niçois broke away in the middle of the set, creating a small lead. The Eagles logically won the first set (20-25). Simon Hirsch and Valerii Todua particularly stood out in attack.
Narbonne responded by creating a gap at the start of the second set. The hosts had up to a four-point lead. Javier Gonzalez’s teammates were chasing the score in this second set. The outcome of the set was decided in the final points. Despite saving a set point, the Eagles conceded the second set (26-24).
Narbonne turns the match around
Everything had to be redone for Nice Volley Ball. Winning the third set became crucial. Once again, the set was decided in the final points. The Narbonne team took the set (25-22). For the first time in the match, Narbonne took the lead.
The Eagles found themselves against the wall in this game. But the Niçois started this set badly. Narbonne opened up a six-point lead over their opponent. In front of their home crowd, Narbonne maintained their lead. Rodney Ah-Kong’s teammates did not come back in the match, and Narbonne claimed their first victory of the season, winning 3-1 (20-25/26-24/25-22/25-17). A terrible disappointment for the Eagles in their fight to stay in the league, with this defeat on the ground of the league’s last team.
Next match is next Saturday, December 16, for the Eagles. Nice Volley Ball will host Tours for the 12th matchday of the Marmara Spike League. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 PM.
