This Saturday evening at 7 p.m., at the Palmeira hall, the Eagles were up against the Audois as part of the 20th day of the Marmara SpikeLigue. A decisive duel for survival between two teams in very poor standings.
The two teams met slightly more than two months after their last confrontation. Last December, Narbonne had prevailed over the Nice team. Eager for revenge, the Eagles were determined to win this evening, in front of their home crowd.
The 12th (Nice) faced the 13th (Narbonne). Two teams that have been struggling significantly this year. Out of the last 10 matches, the Nice team had won only one, (3-2 against Sรจte two weeks ago). On their side, the Audois didn’t do much better, suffering a series of 3 consecutive defeats. Out of the last ten matches, they had won only three.
It was a match of particular significance for Rafael Redwitz, the Narbonne coach. The former NVB coach was finally setting foot back on his cherished home ground, to face his former assistant, Fabrice Chalendar, now the head coach of the Nice team.
The players benefited from a packed Palmeira hall. Everyone had come to encourage them and help them maintain their position, with 5 games left in the Marmara SpikeLigue.
The Nice team started the match very well. After 12 exchanges, and a strong run of 5 consecutive points, the Eagles were already leading 9-3 in the 1st set. Rafael Redwitz immediately stopped this fiery start by the Nice team with a timeout, which had the desired effect, as the Narbonne volleyball players ended this poor run as soon as they returned to the field. But nothing seemed to disturb the Azurรฉens. The Eagles continued to play steadily and confidently. Simon Hirsch delivered another set of 7 serves (19-7), allowing the Eagles to easily seize the 1st set (25-10).
The Eagles on Fire!
Despite a thundering start with the Eagles on fire, the second set was much more contested. Nice made some errors, notably service faults. Nevertheless, they conceded a slight lead to their opponents. The NVB relied on their number 15, Simon Hirsch, to catch up and even take the lead at 21-20. In a tense end to the 2nd set, in an electrifying hall holding its breath, Rodney Ah-Kong eventually secured the second set for the Eagles with a splendid winning block.
Unyielding Eagles
The Nice team continued with the same momentum in the 3rd set. Their eagerness, sometimes overly excessive, was exemplified by Ah-Kong, who expressed his frustration after losing a very important point. Unyielding, the Nice team converted their second match point and logically won 3 sets to 0 (25-15).
Having delivered a remarkable performance, Simon Hirsch was named man of the match. Nice now holds a 6-point lead over the relegation zone. The next meeting for the Eagles is on February 17th in Tours (3rd in the standings).
