After three consecutive defeats in the championship this season, the Nice Volleyball team, last in the Ligue A standings, secured their first home victory against Poitiers (6th), winning 3 sets to 2. A highly anticipated and well-deserved success after an intense and suspenseful match.
Finally, smiles. The long-awaited victory is here. The players, the staff, and all the supporters can celebrate Nice Volleyball’s first win of the season at the traditional Palmeira venue. After failing three times against Tours (3-1), Montpellier (3-1), and Toulouse (2-3), Nice earns their first points in the standings and opens their account.
Nice starts poorly but holds on
The match starts poorly for Nice, who quickly suffer from the Poitiers’ play (3-8). But very quickly, Ratko Peris’s men catch up and level with their opponents (13-13). After a tight period where both teams nearly play evenly, it’s Nice who wins the first set, 25-23. But Poitiers is not done yet.
Although they let the first set slip away, Brice Donat’s players respond in turn. In a second set where the team from the Riviera suffers even more from the visitors’ aggressive play, Poitiers takes advantage of small mistakes and blunders made by the men in azure blue (7-11; 11-17; 14-23). There was no contest, Poitiers wins the set easily, 25-15.
With the score tied (1-1), everything had to be redone for both the locals and the visitors. The next two periods would be decisive. But once again, Poitiers unfolds and pushes further (7-10; 11-17; 16-21). The men in black and white win this third set, 25-20, and take the lead on the scoreboard, 2 sets to 1. For president Alain Griguer, nothing is lost, at least for the moment. “We had a small slump, but we’re catching up, so it’s not all lost yet. As long as the last point isn’t scored, there’s still hope.”
The battle for victory
With one more set won, Poitiers would take the victory. But that wasn’t going to happen that way. As against Toulouse, the Niçois managed to climb back up to level with their opponents, despite a rather average start to the fourth set (1-4; 4-4; 8-7). Encouraged by the supporters present in the hall, Nice Volleyball took control of the game. Thanks to an outstanding Jérôme Clère in blocking, the Niçois recovered precious points from Poitiers (14-12; 19-16; 22-18).
Nice comes back and wins 25-21. With two sets won on each side, the teams must be separated by the fifth and final game. The first to reach 15 points wins the match. A scenario very similar to the one against Toulouse, where the Niçois suffered their latest home defeat after five sets, eventually losing the last one.
As in the first part, things start poorly for Nice, who are already trailing 7 to 3. Fortunately, the team can count on their captain, who sets a good example. Standing at 1.93 meters, Jérôme Clère delivers a remarkable series of blocks landing in the Poitevins’ zone. The red card received towards the end, resulting in a penalty (one point less), will not impact the Nice players.
The score is 12-12. Nothing is decided. Until the last action where Nice leads 14 to 12. At the moment the 15th point is scored, before the players and the entire staffcould begin celebrations, video arbitration intervenes. After verification, it was considered that the point could be awarded to Nice Volleyball. 15 to 13 is the score of the last set. The party can begin.
Nice wins 3 sets to 2 against a tough and fully committed Poitiers team. A deserved victory for Jérôme Clère and his teammates, who are already focused on their next away game. “There was a little surge of pride in the fifth set when we were trailing by five points. We showed good things. We will now prepare for the day-after-tomorrow training to be ready to win in Chaumont on Saturday.”
Nice Volleyball will travel to face Chaumont on Halloween Saturday. A match where the Niçois will attempt to secure their first points away.
