This Saturday, March 27, the Nice Eagles traveled to Poitiers for the 26th and final day of the championship. Already eliminated from the race for the Ligue A finals.
However, the Poitiers team needed to secure the victory to clinch the final ticket and join the other seven teams in the running. The win was achieved easily, perhaps too easily, against a disoriented team from the Côte d’Azur as the locals simply had to play their game to secure a clear 3-0 victory. They finished eighth in the championship with 14 victories compared to leaders Montpellier, who have a record of 21 wins and 4 losses.
For Nice, it’s the end of another long season and the conclusion of an ordeal. From the first set, the yellow and blue team suffered a heavy 25-13 loss. A class difference separated the two teams. Throughout the match, the Côte d’Azur team never had the upper hand on the scoreboard. There was a brief tie (20-20) in the last set, followed by a new decrease in pace. The match point was a block by Giacomo Raffaelli against Léo Andric. Best player for the Eagles with 15 points, Andric couldn’t offer an additional set to his teammates.
Nice ends one of the worst seasons in its history in Ligue A. During their away games, Ratko Peris’s men did not secure any successes, which is unfortunately disappointing. If there is a silver lining, the NVB will not be relegated to Ligue B and will have the chance to defend its colors in the national elite for another season, proving that the 2020-2021 season was just a passing mistake.
