At Plessis-Robinson, Saturday November 9 (7 p.m.), Chaumont VB 52 Haute-Marne starts a new cycle, with the Champions League in parallel with the championship. Faced with the “red lantern”, the Cévebists want to start this new rhythm in the right way.
It's a bit of a new start that the Chaumont VB 52 Haute-Marne offers itself, by going to Plessis-Robinson, Saturday November 9. After the start of the season and the first seven days played at a weekly pace, the teams qualified for the European Cup will have to pick up the pace. Like the Cévebistes, Saint-Nazaire, Tours and Tourcoing will also increase the number of matches and trips, and that starts this weekend. “It is perhaps even more difficult for French teams who never have the opportunity to skip certain championship matches or to rest players, as the championship is homogeneous and always requires being at the forefront. in his best form,” recalls Haut-Marne assistant coach, Iban Perez.
The Spaniard, with his international experience and his knowledge of the French competition, particularly after his time in Nantes (2012/2014 as a player), then recently in Paris (last year), is therefore quite well placed to put warns his new players about a possible relaxation, at the dawn of facing the “last of the class”. “The Marmara Spikeleague is like this: if you start the game thinking about the standings, you won't get through it. Playing the leader or the last requires exactly the same attention and involvement before and during the match. »
And in a championship where the leveling of values is verified on each day, “the objective of some always remains similar to that of others: victory. Le Plessis wants to leave his last place and we want to get closer to the front ranks. The reasons change but the way remains the same: to win. »
In confidence
A victory that Plessis-Robinson has not yet experienced since the start of the season, when CVB 52 returned to success last weekend against Saint-Nazaire (3-1). A performance that pleased Iban Perez, even if everything was not always perfect. “We won in three sets, which is already very positive. Two sets, the first and the third, are rather well managed. As for the second, won on the wire, it nevertheless brings a good dose of confidence to our players, who were able to react superbly, despite four set points against us. »
If on the Plessis-Robinson side, a change has already taken place in the squad, with the injury of the Norwegian passer Jakob Thelle, replaced by the Frenchman Léo Meyer, who started among his new partners during the last day in Sète (read elsewhere), at the start of this more intense period, the Haut-Marnais can still count on a full squad.
A team that the assistant coach really likes. “Humanly and sportingly, we work with an exceptional group. Perhaps today, a “seven” stands out a little more and has a little more playing time. But this is not a bad experience. Everyone works hard and knows that everyone can come in at any time, especially in the period that is coming. Competition is healthy: that’s ideal! »
A situation that an additional victory would only brighten up, before moving on to the next level and the Champions League.
Laurent Génin
