Volleyball: Unstoppable, Paris crushes Nice Volley-Ball

Opening this 24th day of Marmara SpikeLigue, Nice Volley-Ball hosted Paris. A decisive match for playoff qualification, with a taste of a final before its time. 

Three days from the end of the championship, the battle is raging in the middle of the standings. Nice Volley-Ball, 7th in the championship with 32 points, hosted Paris (11th) just five points behind the eighth qualifying place. A match worth its weight in gold in a season where both teams have gone through difficult moments. NVB had a very complicated start to the championship with only one win in their first six matches. On the other hand, Paris changed coaches after a rough patch symbolized by the first leg match against the Eagles. Under the direction of Mauricio Paes, the Parisians have regained their form by qualifying for the French Cup final and stringing together successes (three victories in the last four matches) in Marmara SpikeLigue. Enough to offer a great spectacle in the Palmeira Giamarchi hall before the French Cup final at the end of the month.

Nice Volley-Ball well-inspired but outclassed

The Nice players were slow to get into the match. Less forward in this opening, Dawid Dulski nonetheless remained the top scorer of the match with four points out of the first ten scored by the Maralpins. The two teams alternately took the lead without making a decisive gap. The Nice players defended well but sometimes lacked clarity on certain points. Opposite Timéo Secretant was having a great first set, as was his teammate Vasili Molotkov. In the money time the sharp Russian gave Paris a first unconverted set ball. The second one, however, would prove effective, still thanks to the same man who ended up giving Paris the first set 24-26.

The second set started with the same pattern. Paris ended up making the difference in defense. The visitors, more particularly François Huetz, were stringing together blocks. It took huge attacks from Shay Liberman to get the Eagles back in a match they were losing six points 6-12. But the gap was too large to close and Paris managed to maintain their lead. The Parisian middle blockers made the difference to allow the visitors to take the second set 16-25.

An attack in trouble

With their backs to the wall, the Nice players had to react. Tension was rising in the Palmeira Giamarchi hall after some trash talk from Vasili Molotkov who was on fire this evening. Weesel Keemink tried to mobilize his teammates who seemed without a solution against the Parisian armada for whom everything was working, like an attack-defense followed by an ace from Timéo Secretant. Paris was opening up again despite the almost desperate encouragement from coach Brice Donat on the bench. Despite some nice points from Merrick McHenry and Shay Liberman no one could stop the Secretant duo (man of the match) – Molotkov. The string of blocks gave the Parisians a four then seven point lead. If Dawid Dulski rebelled late in the match, the outcome was decided.

Paris clinches the match in three straight sets (26-24/25-16/25-15) in less than 1 hour 30 minutes. Nice Volley-Ball experienced a delicate return to Marmara SpikeLigue and sees its direct playoff rivals sensing an opportunity to move ahead in the standings. Direct qualification is slipping away but all is not yet lost as the Nice coach pointed out after the match. They will need to respond on the field of Ajaccio at 8 p.m.