Perugia Volley is sure of its strength. So sure that, from now on, he drops the confetti as soon as a match kicks off… The error was obviously involuntary and made Fulvio Bertini and the Nazairiens smile, but, this season, the Italian champion seems to be two trains ahead at each meeting.
The Perugia players, a little embarrassed around the edges, took it upon themselves to sweep the floor of the Pala Evangelisti, before sweeping their opponent 3-0, the usual fare this season in the Champions League. But unlike the first leg, Saint-Nazaire this time held on until the end, the score ultimately in no way reflecting the nature of the match. This time, Angelo Lorenzetti had not put his Japanese nugget Yuki Ishikawa to rest like at La Soucoupe. And the boy’s talent was evident from the first set… A set where, ultimately, the gap of +6 (16-10) was the largest of the match.
“A very good omen”
Problem: as soon as the SNVBA approached the Devils, frustrating service errors squandered its efforts. Otherwise, he will have competed in almost all areas of the game.
The turning point was undoubtedly this second set where the Nazairiens recovered at 22-22 after two challenges won. In vain. Their chance had passed, but, unlike in the first leg, they did not collapse in the third set (25-23), carried by a stunning Henri Léon. Enough to make the referee fall from his chair (more fear than harm)!
“We were able to hold our own against one of the best teams in the world, if not the best, welcomes Gilles Gosselin, general manager of the SNVBA. We were able to cope with their very high level of service while having very interesting offensive efficiency. We were very close to losing each time and that’s what makes the difference with the very high level teams who are used to playing close matches. This bodes very well for the future. »
The Nazairians confirmed the surge observed in Narbonne (3-1) and will host Toulouse on December 29 with much more confidence. The only downside is Ankara’s victory (3-0) in Ceske Budejovice which allows it to get back in front of SNVBA in 2e place (7 pts against 5).
PERUGIA – SAINT-NAZAIRE: 3-0
(25-21, 25-23, 25-23)
PERUGIA: Ben Tara 16, Ishikawa 11, Loser 10, Semeniuk 7, Sole 6, Giannelli 2, Herrera, Plotnytskyi, Colaci (libero). Coach : Angelo Lorenzetti.
SAINT-NAZAIRE: Léon 15, Ewert 13, Spencer 8, Martins 3, Hallé 3, Van der Ent 2, Burel, Ivanov, Valefuaniu, Devèze (libero). Coach : Fulvio Bertini.
