It was said that this story would end in the harsh and the emotional battle. And in this game of mixed feelings, volleyball at the end of the season, when fatigue and chills weigh heavily, it is the Mariannes of Levallois Paris who have raised a very small notch than the Nantes Neptunes, to offer, facing the same opponent, a second title of champion of France consecutive.
And yet, as in the first leg, the Neptunes led two sleeves to one, still seeming to brave storms and gusts, the Halimatou Bah game injury. There was verve at the service (10 aces Nantes), from conviction in reception and Haylie Bennett (26 pts) seemed to want another end, a gold set at least.
But like a regular season where the Mariannes, sometimes heckled, have always brought up, Levallois Paris rose, yet another time. Undoubtedly less dominating and constant than last season, the girls of Alessandro Oreve has always found their arms, heart or soul to get out of the business. On Saturday, it was the Canadian Central, Jazmine White (17 pts including 5 against), who stole the help of the tireless tandem, Natalia Murek (20 pts) – Bianca Cugno (22 pts including 3 against), when it took.
For Nantes, the end is necessarily a little cruel. And the success in Super Cup will undoubtedly not erase the setbacks in the Coupe de France and in SP 6. But, it is one more pebble on a path paved with beautiful ideas, for a team that still has to chain six finals in two exercises (two championships, two French Cups, a Cup challenge and a Supercoupe) for two harvested trophies (2024 and Super Cup). Surely Caesar Hernandez, Amandine Giardino and the whole gang of the Atlantic girls would have liked another end. But the Neptunes, for sure, will come back.
