For this 11th day of the men’s championship, Nice Volleyball secured a home victory (3-2) against Sète. A match that was not easy for Ratko Peris and his team.
It was far from a walk in the park. However, the team from Nice managed to snatch victory after five sets against a strong Sète team that didn’t give up. The Azuréens demonstrated team spirit and clinched this success at the end of the match.
Nice and Sète: A Very Close Game
According to Ratko Peris, they needed to step up their game. After having dropped a few points in previous matches, the coach stated that his team “will approach this match against Sète in a different way, and there is something to be gained tonight.” And it starts by winning the three points. The Eagles had a strong start to the game by taking the first set, (25-19), despite a tight score at the beginning that widened towards the end.
But things never go as planned. The Sète team showed character by catching up with Nice on the scoreboard. The second set was more balanced (3-3; 11-12; 18-19). In the end, the visitors won (26-24). Things got even worse for the locals with the third set narrowly won (25-23) by the Sète team. Two sets to one, the game took on an entirely different dimension. The Giamarchi hall was on fire.
An Overtime to Snatch Victory
Still without their captain, Jérôme Clère, who was injured, the Nice team knew they couldn’t afford any more mistakes. In the fourth set, things shifted in favor of the home team with more aggressive play and steely determination (8-4; 12-9; 17-15). Neither team managed to pull ahead significantly, but Nice stayed in front (19-15; 21-16; 23-22). When Sète evened it up at 23 all, the Eagles needed to score to keep their hopes alive. They managed to do so with sublime blocks, particularly from Rodney Ah-Kong.
Nice’s high defensive positioning thwarted Sète’s attempts. The Azuréens eventually claimed the set 25-23 and headed into overtime. The first team to score 15 points would be declared the winner.
Fatigue set in on both sides as service errors multiplied, especially on the Sète side. The start of the final set was as tight as the previous ones (2-2; 5-5; 8-8). Nice responded well but were continually caught by their evening adversaries. The collective effort finally paid off as the home team pulled ahead (12-9; 14-9) and eventually won 15-9.
Nice secured their third victory of the season in nine matches. The Suddistes move back up to the 12th place and will travel to Cambrai on December 8. As for the Sète team (8th), they have suffered their third consecutive defeat and will look to turn things around during their trip to Nantes the same day.
