The volleyball towers again and more than ever at the semi-finals

The figures are not far from dizzying: none French champion, the Tours Volley-Ball competes for the nineteenth semi-final of the championship in its history. And facing Montpellier, the Tourangeaux apply to a fifteenth final. An era started twenty-five years ago, when the TVB had interfered for the very first time in the last square, in 2000, losing its first semi-final against Paris …

A regularity that resists an ever more increased density of the French championship, known to offer no easy match; And which is still confirmed in this 2024-2025 season which will not have been a long, quiet river. Between a smuggler and captain suspended for the very first games, a sharp long -term injury in the summer and therefore three months played with a joker, injuries in Gogo, a manager landed at the end of November, the TVB did not go astray. 12^eit went up to the 4th^e Place and, this Friday, May 2, it is a qualification in the final that he will play against Montpellier in a Grenon room which should-like that of Lawson-Body for Poitiers-Chaumont-being electric.

Thomas Royer, one of the two assistants of Marcelo Fronckowiak, is undoubtedly the best placed to decipher this Constance, he who has been at the club since the 2009-2010 season and who has experienced as worse results in the … quarter-finals.

“On all floors of the rocket, it works well”

“We have workforce for, we agree, he begins. But above all, we are where we want to be. Each season, we start from a goal: to be champion of France and we do everything to get there. On all floors of the rocket, it works well. »» And to cite both the quality of recruitment and administrative work, that of travel as well as apartments made available to players, the value of technical, physical and medical staff. “In fact, everything is done to put the players in the best conditions to perform. »»

“The way of apprehending the event”

And then there is also this culture of winning. “All our semi-finals have one thing in common: we are never by chance, but they are never easyestimates Thomas Royer, who remembers his very first against Poitiers, “A dinguerie”, Or both against Narbonne. These matches are not only played on volleyball but on how to apprehend the event. »»

In this area, Europe that the TVB travels year after year (another ten games played this season in CEV Cup) brings a real plus. A common experience during trips that are not those of the championship. And then “Victories in Europe impact moretestifies Thomas Royer. This year, for example, we faced two big teams, Roeselare in quarters and Rzeszów in the semi-finals, on coupens, which is still different from group matches in the Champions League. Cover matches, we play more than any other team. It doesn’t scare us ”.

In this case, a quarter in Belgium, where the TVB was led 2-0 and 24-20 before winning 3-2, like half in Poland, ceded 3-2 but very high, are also confidence engines for players.

A work culture coupled with that of the winning

Which will never have let go this season. And this is perhaps the other key to Touraine success in time: this work culture coupled with that of winning. “Lots of people think it is enough to come to Tours to winpointe Thomas Royer. Well no, when it’s hard, there is only one solution: working. And the group we have this season is to be congratulated because he has always continued to work, to believe it. We said to ourselves that we might be difficult but that from the moment when it was going to click, it would be complicated to fight. »»

And so it was so with a roundly conducted winter, where the Couac of the quarter -final of the Coupe de France in Montpellier was quickly swept away. “The desire to win is a big engine but the hatred of losing moreassure Thomas Royer. Afterwards, it must be channeled and put it at the service of a tactic, which we did super well in Montpellier (0-3), Last week. Now you have to confirm. »» And as of this Friday, at home, as much as possible.

Match 2: Tours-Montpellier, Friday May 2 at 8 p.m., Grenon room.
Match 3 Potential: Montpellier-Tours, Monday May 5.