The United States is the major sector that Béziers has chosen this season to constitute its professional squad. New test this Saturday at 8 p.m. in Marcq-en-Barœul.
Rather accustomed in recent years to recruiting players from South America (Brazil, Argentina, etc.), this offseason, it was in the USA that the Béziers club went to do a large part of its market to build its 2024-2025 squad. A deliberate choice for the new Béziers coach, Frédéric Havas: “The objective is to have a homogeneous squad with a reasonable budget. There is no preference for nationalities, but in the United States, women’s volleyball is a very developed sport, with many players of talent and size corresponding to the requirements of the high level. Their pool of good players is quite interesting.
As many Americans as French
For this season, there are four American players in total in the squad: Amélia Moore and Marissa Stockman, two 24-year-old central players, Ciara Debell and Emily Holterhaus, two receivers/attackers aged 26 and 23 respectively. Four Americans are as many as there are French women in the Béziers group.
In this American quartet, three players have just finished their university studies across the Atlantic. Only Ciara Debell already knows Europe and her volleyball, she played in Finland and Bulgaria. “A player who comes from the United States has generally spent four years at university, therefore in a quasi-professional structure. Team spirit, discipline and a love of sport which are real performance criteria”notes the Angels coach.
It is therefore a Béziers Volley with an American accent which will officiate on the courts of France this season, as will be the case this Saturday evening, in the North, in Marcq-en-Barœul, on the outskirts of Lille. A match to confirm the 3 sets to 1 victory last week against Chamalières at the opening of the Saforelle PowerSix championship.
