Aurélien Canot, Media365, published on Friday September 27, 2024 at 11:56 p.m.
The Marmara SpikeLigue season began Friday evening with a first major surprise. Cannes, the promoted, has in fact offered Saint-Nazaire, outgoing French champion, on its floor. A tie-break victory (22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-20, 15-13) for Cannes, who could not better celebrate their return to the French volleyball elite.
“The French championship is a championship which remains very, very homogeneous, and where there are ultimately no longer too many small teams.” Earvin Ngapeth, back in France in his favorite club, Stade Poitevin, did not think he was saying it so well, Thursday evening at the microphone of The Channel L’Equipe. The double Olympic champion with the Blues and attraction this season of the Marmara SpikeLigue which kicked off on Friday (Ngapeth and Poitiers will welcome Narbonne on Saturday evening in a room which will already be sold out for the big premiere of the superstar of the French team) could have added: “and what’s more, everyone can beat everyone.” The new year, inevitably marked by the comeback in France of the best player in the world, began with a major surprise. On its floor, Cannes, back among the elite after a stint in League B, had the luxury of immediately bringing down the Saint-Nazaire team, which is none other than the outgoing champion and once again one of the main favorites for the title.
Saint-Nazaire overturned
In front of his audience, the promoted team created a first sensation by winning the tie-break (22-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-20, 15-13) against the Vendéens who obviously came from the objective to start with a victory, especially with a team which was still playing at the lower level a few months ago. Cannes is not the first to come, however, and Saint-Nazaire was able to see this during this first duel which saw the French champions lead twice in this part without managing to force the decision. The SNVBA found itself three points from victory in the last set, but without managing to score more than a point when the Azuréens and Lukas Demar, author of the decisive attack, lined up as many as he could. needed to achieve this first feat. Ngapeth should not have been surprised.
