The NVB breaks its losing streak against Tourcoing. Mladen Kasic’s men win in the tie-break against their nemesis. They lead in this semi-final and could qualify as soon as next Tuesday for the League B playoffs final.
The NVB could not have chosen a better moment to break its losing streak against Tourcoing. After 3 defeats in the regular season, the Nice team finally won against the Northerners in the first match of the League B playoff semi-finals.
The Nice Team Bends…
The crowd witnessed a balanced match between the two teams. But the visitors opened up a gap after the first technical timeout. Tourcoing showed more strength in blocking. Raphael Corre, the passer and captain from Nice, could not find a solution in attack. The visitors capitalized on this to create a lead (11-16). The Northerners maintained their advantage and won the set with a score of 25-14.
…But Does Not Break
In the second set, the two teams exchanged points back and forth. The NVB pushed attacks through the center with Nemanja Cubrillo. The Azur team also showed more strength in blocking, allowing them to stay close. Then at 16-18 for Tourcoing, Mladen Kasic’s men managed to score five consecutive points (21-18), notably with a block from Jรฉrome Clรจre and an ace from Mirko Radevic.
The visitors managed to level the score (23-23), but the home team showed more resilience. By sheer determination, they won the set 26-24 with an ace from Cubrillo. Nice was back in the game.
Nice Breaks Free
Winning the second set seemed to galvanize the Nice team. They quickly took the lead, advancing 8-2, thanks to two aces by Raphael Corre. On the other side, Tourcoing fumbled their volleyball, allowing Nice to take a ten-point lead at 17-7.
Niklas Sepannen, who had been relatively quiet, dominated this third set (6 points for him in the set). From blocks to three-meter hits, the Finn displayed his full range of skills. The Azur team won the set with a resounding score of 25-13.
In the next set, the dynamic of the match changed completely. The Nice team, so dominant in the third set, fell behind. They were quickly trailing 1-4 due to numerous service errors and lapses in attention, costing them the set. 14-25. The two teams headed into a tie-break.
In the ultimate set, the contest equalized. Niklas Sepannen allowed NVB to stay in contention, tying at 12 for both teams. This was when Mirko Radevic delivered a crucial block. Then, in the next play phase, the Northerners made an attacking error. It was 14-12 for Nice. Finally, Nemanja Cubrillo gave the victory to the Nice team.
Thus, Nice broke a streak of three defeats and retained home advantage in this semi-final. The next match will be next Tuesday in the North.
