A duel at the bottom of the standings. That’s what this 6th day of the Marmara SpikeLigue had in store between Chaumont and Nice Volley Ball. A match that eventually turned to the advantage of CVC52.
At the start, this match opposed two struggling teams at the beginning of the season. On one side, Chaumont had not yet secured a single victory in this Marmara SpikeLigue 2025-2026. On the other side, the Eagles of Nice Volley Ball were on a worrying streak of three consecutive defeats.
Despite a good start, the Nice team failed to maintain the level showcased during a very convincing first set.
Right from the start, NVB appeared focused and determined. With stable receptions, well-constructed attacks, and good team coordination, the Eagles quickly took control of the game. Despite the pressure from the Jean-Masson crowd, the Azuréens dominated the exchanges and won the first set (19–25), raising hopes of a positive outcome.
The momentum shifted however starting from the second set. Chaumont increased the intensity in serving and blocking, forcing Nice to play under more pressure. A few direct errors, some haste in transitions, and the home team caught up (25–20).
Reception in question
The third set followed the same trend: despite their fighting spirit, the Nice team struggled with reception and found it hard to cope with the pace set by Chaumont, who took advantage (25–13) to lead two sets to one.
Nice attempted to react in the final set, but the momentum was clearly on the side of the Haut-Marnais. Pushed by their fans, they maintained control until the end. Despite a few interesting offensive sequences, the Azuréens failed to reverse the trend and fell again (25–20). Brice Donat’s men were defeated in four sets (19-25/25-20/25-13/25-20).
The statistics reflect the shift in the match: seven aces conceded (against 2 made), 41 winning attacks for Chaumont against 32 for Nice, and 69 points scored by the home team in the first two sets compared to 58 by the Nice team. After an excellent start, the Eagles eventually succumbed to the physical and rhythmic rise of Chaumont.
The Nice team returns from Chaumont with regrets, but also with grounds for hope: a promising start, solid team sequences, and a fighting attitude. The challenge now will be to turn these good early match performances into complete efforts throughout the entire contest.
The next appointment for NVB is next Thursday (8 PM). Rodney Ah-Kong and his teammates will travel to Paris for a match that could already seem like a pivotal moment.
