We left the eaglets bruised by their 3-0 defeat at home to the league leaders Tours. For their return and the reception of Nantes, the Azuréens were keen to make up for the previous match.
NVB faced a direct competitor for a playoff qualifying spot. In case of defeat, the Nantaise would have caught up with the Niçois. Driven by the fervor of the public and the will to win, the yellow and blue left no chance to their opponent (3-0).
The first set started with a bang with extremely quick points in three or four exchanges. At the end of the first set, won 25-19 by Nice, some misunderstandings appeared in the visitors’ camp. The coach disputed the refereeing on numerous occasions. After a verbal warning, the two teams switched sides.
The start of the second set was marked by tough engagement from both teams, exchanging blow for blow. Continuous assaults by Nantes were repelled by the eaglets four times to score a sumptuous point.
Subsequently, VBN made several errors in serving and defensive positioning. The consequences were felt on the scoreboard, as they lost the set 25-23, which they could have won.
The final set saw Nice volleyball take off with a 6-0 run that sealed the fate of the Nantes team. Cuk impressed with his defense. At 10-2, he provided two consecutive blocks to bury the opponents’ hopes.
While the match seemed over, Mladen Kasic and Fulvio Bertini (the two coaches) almost came to blows but were separated by officials and the staff of both teams. Both received a red card. Fortunately, this did not spill over the court, although some words were exchanged between the players.
With this victory in hand, Nice clinches the fifth place in Ligue A.
Their next match will be in Narbonne on March 23rd.
