This Saturday evening, the Eagles hosted Sète for the 3rd day of the Marmara Spike League. A second home match concluded with a crushing defeat for Nice Volleyball in three straight sets (17-25/18-25/21-25).
First Set
In this first set, Sète dominated, and Nice struggled to respond. The start of the match was challenging for the Eagles. Quickly trailing 6-1, and then 9-5, they struggled to impose their rhythm. Sète, more incisive, made few mistakes. The Sète team appeared pragmatic, with their attacks far more impactful than those of Nice. Yet, the Nice team didn’t give up. Closing the gap to 10-8, they attempted to even the score. But Sète remained unfazed and pushed forward again. The Sète steamroller resumed its march, increasing the gap to 16-10. Nice’s response remained insufficient. Sète maintained its grip and led 19-13. Despite some efforts from the Eagles, the end of the set saw Nice collapse. Sète, relentless, won it (25-17), thus taking control of the match. Nice would need to react to hope to reverse the trend.
Second Set
Nice hoped to erase the mistakes of the first set. Right from the start of the second round, the Eagles showed better intentions. The game was more balanced, with each team exchanging blows. At 7-7, the Nice team, however, faltered. Sète took advantage to widen the gap. Gradually, the Hérault team took the lead: 10-8, 12-10, then 15-12. Nice, despite putting up a good fight, could not (once again…) reverse the trend. Sète continued their rise to a comfortable 19-13. Eventually, the Eagles once again stumbled at the end of the set. Sète prevailed (25-18), thus securing the second round. To hope to turn around the match, Nice would need to react quickly and change everything. The Nice team is against the wall, but nothing is decided yet…
Third Set
The start of this third set hinted at a renewal. Nice took the lead with a clear 3-0. However, the lead quickly evaporated. Sète caught up to 3-3, then went ahead at 4-3, and later 7-5. Despite this new setback, the Nice team found the resources to equalize at 9 all. But, once again, Sète regained the advantage, widening the gap to 11-9, then 14-11. The Eagles, driven by their determination, came back to 14 all, giving hope to their supporters. The dynamics of this set were marked by constant turnarounds. Sète once more took control, 17-15, before accelerating to 21-17. Nice, courageous, attempted to come back in the money time. However, the gap favored the Sète team, who won (25-21).
Nice never gave up, but the challenge proved too great against Sète. The match was tough, and the Eagles will need to bounce back for the future. Next meeting is next Saturday at 7 PM, once again at home against Paris Volley.
