Nice Volleyball was defeated (3-0) at home this Tuesday by an impressive Narbonne team that imposed its rule throughout the match. This meeting was part of the first day of the championship.
“We were close in the match against Cannes last time, so we will give it our all to win this match against Narbonne.” These were the words of Matthieu Mouezy, just before the start of the Nice / Narbonne match. The Nice number 8 asserts that his teammates are thirsty for revenge after losing the derby (3-1) in Cannes. Narbonne, as a reminder, was coming off three consecutive defeats and wanted to break the spell tonight against the Eagles.
A tight start but to the visitors’ advantage
In a closed-door Giamarchi hall, Niçois and Narbonnais were very close during this well-balanced first set (1-2 ; 6-5 ; 9-10). The Azuréens fell slightly behind but caught up on the scoreboard. After a while, Narbonne seemed to start dominating the game (10-14 ; 12-16), but this was without counting on a well-positioned blue defense that was ready (18-18; 21-21 ; 23-23). At 24-all, the two teams needed to be separated by the two-point lead rule. Service errors eventually cost Nice dearly, who lost the first set (24-26). However, Ratko Peris’s men were not resigned yet.
Deprived of their iconic captain, Jérôme Clère, the locals would try to catch up with their opponents. After all, two sets were still to be played. But the beginning of the second period played in favor of the visitors, who already took the lead (2-6 ; 5-8 ; 7-12). The aggressive play and powerful balls by the Narbonnais disrupted the Nice defense, which still managed to score a few scant points (11-16 ; 14-19 ; 17-23). With a five-point deficit, the task became too arduous for Nice, who logically lost 20-25.
A “remontada” closing the Narbonne festival
2 sets to 0 for Narbonne, the gap became too significant for Ratko Peris and his players. But Nice Volleyball refused to surrender without having said their last word. During this third set, Nice showed a better front with more aggressive play (6-4 ; 10-7 ; 14-8). Narbonne committed multiple service faults, benefitting the hosts (17-11 ; 21-13). The few people present in the hall then expected to see the two teams play a fourth set.
Against all expectations, a relaxation was felt within the Nice squad, which suffered a terrible 9-0 that hurt the locals. The Narbonnais achieved a remarkable “remontada” and caught up with the Azuréens (21-21 ; 22-22). But visibly marked mentally, the Nice Volley players tried to bounce back, in vain… Narbonne took advantage of the opponent’s weakness. At 25-all, Nice made inaccuracies that turned to Narbonne’s advantage. In the end, it was indeed Narbonne that won the set and definitively secured their well-deserved victory with a score of (3-0).
At the final whistle, the disappointment was great as the staff present believed in a comeback. The sixth defeat in eight matches for Nice Volleyball, who nonetheless showed good things in the middle of the game and early in the third set. Nice finds itself in 11th place in the standings and will face the Sète team in this same Giamarchi hall on December 4th. Narbonne, 6th, will travel to Ajaccio for their next championship match. Now, it’s time for recovery!
