At home, Nice hoped to get back on track against Paris. Unfortunately, they were outclassed by Paris and lost 3-0 (25-23; 25-18; 25-23).
It was crucial to stop the bleeding tonight. Regaining success after eight consecutive defeats was essential. But once again, Nice met a stronger opponent.
A promising start
Right from the start of the match, the Nice players were focused and highly motivated. They managed to take the lead. There were few errors in the play, with Markkus Keel and Jérôme Clere leading the NVB. However, the Parisians did not give up and proved to be just as formidable. For the first time in the match, Paris took the lead (17-16). The score remained tight, with neither team able to pull ahead, and there were few technical mistakes on either side.
In the final moments, the home team faltered (23-21). Despite saving one set point, Nice conceded the first set (25-23) with a final smash from Kujundzic.
Nice extinguished
The home team attempted to come back with the same intentions as in the first set. But on the other side, Paris accelerated and showed no doubt. Completely overwhelmed, they never managed to catch up. The visitors were full of confidence and had luck on their side (19-13). It would almost have taken a miracle to hope for a comeback in this second set. However, the Azuréens made far too many mistakes, especially on serves. With a seven-point lead (22-15), the visitors calmly managed the end of this second set and won it 25-18 without any trouble.
The third set resembled the previous one. Paris quickly took the lead but did not let themselves fall behind. Only one or two points separated the two teams for more than half of this set. But Nice could not catch up and continued to chase the score. The home team lacked sharpness in crucial moments. Yet, the visitors were not without flaws. Captain Jérôme Clere allowed the NVB to catch up for the first time in this set (18-18). However, the Parisians remained unfazed and immediately regained the upper hand. A series of four consecutive points brought them even closer to victory (22-18). Ratko Peris’s players tried to respond, but they lost 25-23.
Nice recorded their ninth consecutive defeat and will try to secure a win against Cannes to get back on track next weekend.
