Nice Volleyball came close to achieving a feat against Tours, leading two sets to zero before eventually falling at home. They will need to be very strong in the return match to hope for a chance at the finals.
Great regrets for Nice, who had the match well in hand. After dominating the first two sets (25-23, 25-23), Robin Overbeeke’s teammates, with another stellar performance tonight (29 points), could not maintain their momentum.
Against Tours, the regular season leaders and team with the largest budget, the NVB, conversely the team with the smallest budget, started to falter at the beginning of the third set. What followed was only logical, as the TVB unfurled its game despite Nice’s very effective block.
The visitors ultimately clinched the last three sets (23-25, 22-25, 16-14) and overturned the hosts, who were nonetheless buoyed by a raucous Giamarchi hall.
The return match will take place in Tours on Thursday, and the potential tiebreaker match will be held on Friday, also in Tours. The Nice team will need to be very resilient to hope for a much-deserved final, which would reward NVB’s exceptional season.
