Despite their victory last week against Chaumont (3-2), Nice once again suffered a severe defeat against Sète (3-1) during the 22nd day. The Eagles remain in 12th place.
There were reasons to believe! After their suspenseful victory against Chaumont (7th), Nice wanted to secure a second consecutive win. Facing a Sète team, ranked two places higher, Jérôme Clere’s teammates once again fell short during the match (3-1).
Nice in agony in the first act
The early exchanges of the match quickly turned to the advantage of one team, Sète. However, the Eagles held on during this early intense phase of the match, marked by the quality of the attacks (7-6). Just as the first set was getting underway, Nice experienced a huge setback. The powerful serve from a Sète player caused chaos in the opposing camp, and Nice found themselves unable to recover (12-6). There were good intentions from the Nice side, but the communication between players was clearly lacking. Dominant in all areas, the team from Hérault was unrivaled on the court, living up to their favorite status (25-16).
The debates balance out between the actors
The dynamic was similar at the start of the second set. Sète quickly took the lead to go ahead by five points (12-7). The set was evidently for Sète, a pun that didn’t amuse the Eagles (25-22). Down two sets to none, the pride of the Riviera volleyball players kicked in and sparked a reaction from Salerno’s teammates. However, everything seemed to suggest that Nice would falter as Sète was leading comfortably in the third set (16-12). With determination, Nice fought back, turning the situation around by tightening their defense and maintaining precision in their attacks (25-22).
Nice falters in the final moments
Building on their momentum, although having previously had a catastrophic series of four defeats in five matches, they completely overturned the situation. The pressure was applied right from the start by the yellow and blue, not allowing their opponents any breathing space (7-13). Despite a nightmarish start, Nice was back in the game (10-15). However, it was indeed Sète who made the difference at the end of the set, taking advantage of yet another mistake by Nice (26-24). Nice can regret not pushing their opponents into a decisive tie-break. The tough season continues.
