Nice Volley-Ball traveled this Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM, to the Frédéric Lawson-Body hall, to face Stade Poitevin Volley-Ball, on the occasion of the 11th day of the Men’s Ligue A.
This clash of the elite of French volleyball lived up to its promises once again. The encounters between Poitiers and Nice have historically been very balanced: in the last twelve matches across all competitions, each club has six victories. The Poitiers team was especially wary as they had just suffered a 3-0 home defeat to the Eagles in 2025.
The stakes were high: 6th in the standings, Poitiers could be caught by the Azurean team if Nice succeeded.
First Set: Nice Hits Hard
Both teams jumped straight into the action, with rapid play phases and aggressive serves. The Nice team regularly took the lead, only to be consistently caught up.
On the Eagles’ side, Dawid Dulski, the championship’s top scorer, fully lived up to his status: unstoppable in attack and causing significant damage with his serves. Nice clinched the first set (23-25).
Second Set: Azurean Mastery
The scenario continued with no notable changes. The Nice block was relentless, and the visitors’ quality of play impressed in all areas: clean receptions, omnipresent defense, and repeated blocks.
Despite the revolt attempts led by Thomas Pujol and Dusan Nikolic, the Poitiers players stumbled against a solid and disciplined Nice team. Four changes in the local starting six were not enough to alter the trend.
Nice confirmed their dominance (19-25).
Third Set: Poitiers Holds On
The question arose: would we see the traditional relaxation from the team in the lead? While Nice maintained the pressure, a few service errors allowed the locals to keep pace. Encouraged by their crowd, the Poitiers players refused to give in.
The end of the set was nerve-wracking, with each team having set points. In a stormy atmosphere, marked by referee contests from Nice without video recourse, Poitiers finally prevailed (30-28)
Fourth Set: Suspense at Its Peak
The level of the Nice team dropped slightly, and spurred on by their setter, the Poitiers team took a 17-13 lead. But the Azurean response was swift: Nice tied at 18-18 with two monster blocks, then moved ahead 21-19.
In an electrifying atmosphere, the score came back to 22-22. After a tightly contested end of the set and several more disputed referee decisions, Poitiers snatched the set (25-22).
Tie-Break: Nice’s Mental Strength
The fifth set started with the locals having the upper hand, being more incisive, while the Nice team seemed still affected by the previous set’s ending. The teams switched sides at a close score of 8-7 for Poitiers.
Encouraged by their crowd, the Poitiers team gained a slight 11-8 advantage, but the Azurean resistance was remarkable. Nice came back to 11-11, then 12-11, before tightening their play at the crucial moment. The atmosphere was suffocating.
The Eagles did not falter and finally won the tie-break and the match (12-15).
A Reference Victory
The players of Brice Donat delivered a very complete performance and won in five sets, in style. (23-25 / 19-25 / 30-28 / 25-22 / 12-15) Thanks to these three valuable points, Nice Volley-Ball climbed to the 7th place in the standings.
Next meeting in the Cup of France this Tuesday, December 16, 2025, at 8:00 PM, on Martigues’ court to try to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
