For the 16th day of the men’s volleyball championship, Nice Volleyball traveled to Hauts-de-France this Friday to face Tourcoing. The match ended in a heavy defeat for the team from Nice, losing 3-0 (25-20; 25-19; 25-19).
There was no contest that night. The Nice Volleyball team faced a stronger opponent. After their latest defeat against Paris Volley (3-1), Ratko Peris’s men experienced an even more challenging match against the team from Tourcoing, currently ranked 5th in the Ligue A masculine standings and still in the running for the podium, if not the title.
An Unyielding Tourcoing Domination
Right from the start, the team from Nice suffered under the play of Tourcoing. With fast balls and fierce attacks, the home team quickly gained the upper hand (8-5; 11-8; 16-9). Alongside Tourcoing’s dominance, the visitors made small errors that further distanced them from their evening opponents (17-10; 20-12; 23-13). Although they managed to come back to 24-20, the task seemed too arduous for Jรฉrรดme Clรจre and his teammates, who succumbed 25-20 in this first set.
In the second round, the team from Nice showed more resilience and demonstrated their character (4-4; 5-5), but it was not to last. The winning blocks by รrpรกd Barรณti and the attacks from Daryl Bultor allowed Tourcoing to gain a lead (8-5; 11-5; 15-8). Despite some opportunities created by the team from Nice, such as winning blocks by Jรฉrรดme Clรจre or attacks from Leo Andric, they could not stem the home team’s offensives, who maintained their lead (18-12; 21-17; 24-18). At 24-19, following a video review, an attack ball by Luciano Palonsky validated by the referee ended the second set, won 25-19 by Tourcoing.
Nice in Difficulties
With a two-set deficit, victory seemed difficult, if not impossible, for Ratko Peris and his men. Especially since in the third set, the visitors made numerous service errors. The balls were too easily returned to Tourcoing, who did not hesitate to capitalize (6-3; 10-4; 12-6).
Tourcoing gradually pulled away on the scoreboard (14-9; 16-11; 18-13). With a five-point deficit, it was now too much for the Nice team, who eventually succumbed 25-19 in this third set. A 3-0 defeat for the team from Nice, who were dominated throughout the match by this impressive Tourcoing team coached by Igor Juriฤiฤ.
Nice Volleyball records its second consecutive defeat in as many matches this year. Ratko Peris and his team will need to recover quickly from this setback as they will face these same opponents from Tourcoing in five days at the Palmeira hall in Nice.
