After a three-week break, Nice Volleyball resumed the season in the best possible way by winning this Friday 3 sets to 0 against Gazelec FCO Ajaccio. A well-deserved victory after a match dominated at the Palmeira venue.
“Even though the health situation is still very complicated and some players are absent due to Covid-19, we will do everything to win this match, even if, as we know, it won’t be an easy game.” These were the words of coach Ratko Peris, in a pre-match conference, ready to field his players to face Ajaccio, the bottom of Ligue A. Furthermore, captain Jérôme Claire seems to be on the same wavelength. “The group is doing well, those who caught Covid have returned in great shape. Tonight, the match will be tough, we will have to show that we can hold our own against this Ajaccio team.” This was accomplished by the Nice team in a thoroughly controlled match from start to finish.
Nice off to a strong start
Nice Volleyball knew they needed to score points tonight against Ajaccio (14th in the standings) after four losses in five matches to avoid relegation to Ligue B. The spectacle was indeed present. Despite a rather balanced first set (4-2; 8-7; 11-9), the Nice team eventually broke away on the scoreboard thanks to decisive blocks, embodied by Mati Giraudo. The end of the first period was called at a score of (25-19) in favor of the Azuréens.
Ratko Peris’s Niçois repeated the feat in the second period with effective attacks quickly taking the score to 5-1. A blistering start to the set by the locals who already had a significant lead (8-2; 11-5; 15-8; 18-10). It was a genuine demonstration by Nice against a stunned Corsican team struggling to react. There was no contest, Nice Volleyball won convincingly (25-13) and were now leading 2 sets to 0.
A third set to conclude beautifully
No one expected to see Jérôme Clère and his teammates dominate the match in all areas. After a tight start to the third period (6-5; 9-6), the men in blue left nothing to chance and imposed their game, epitomized by Hector Salerno’s magnificent performance. At 14-13, the game was not yet decided. But very quickly, Nice distanced themselves (18-14; 20-16; 23-18). In the end, the home team won their third set (25-19) and concluded their match in style.
Nice Volleyball thus secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory against a strong Ajaccio team and climbed to 11th place in the Ligue A standings. For the coach, the players gave a solid and admirable performance. “They delivered, we made the difference, especially in defense and service. Everything worked well tonight!”
This is the second win of the season for the Azuréens, enough to bolster their confidence before their trip to Cannes in a week. As for the Corsicans, they will travel to Paris still hoping to claim their first victory of the season, having suffered eight consecutive defeats since the beginning of the championship.
