the essential
Toulouse was hoping for a lot from this “true-false” derby against the Occitan neighbor, Arago de Sète. And Duflos' protégés had taken the match of this tenth day of SpikeLigue, Saturday, November 23, at the Palais des sports, in the right direction. Alas, the rest…
Beaten in their last two home matches, Toulouse suffered a third setback in their home arena by losing to Sète (2-3). Often irresistible at the Palais des Sports last season, the Spacer's have lost their magic and performed very poorly in the race for the play-offs against a direct competitor for the Top 8.
Also read:
Spacers' Volley: Toulouse receives Sète knowingly
Even more annoying: this is the second time in a week that Patrick Duflos' men have lost after leading two rounds to nothing.
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Volleyball: Ngapeth is waiting for the Spacer's! The Toulouse residents challenge the best player of the last Olympics
A similar collapse had already cost them dearly in Poitiers on the last day. In a championship where the slightest point is a rare commodity, this waste is unwelcome.
A worrying feverishness
This Saturday, however, it took a huge dose of imagination to envisage such a scenario when Facundo Santucci's teammates started the third set after going it alone until then (25-22, 25-18). A questionable decision at the end of the third round was enough for them to start showing worrying signs of feverishness (23-25).
Also read:
Spacer's Volley: Toulouse loses at the end of the night, coming close to the feat in Poitiers
It was even more glaring in the fourth set which they lost by the same score after leading 14-9! The three points gone, the Spacer's were not even able to snatch two, starting the tie-break like zombies (3-8, 4-11).
Also read:
Spacer's: Toulouse hits a wall, the leader doesn't give him a single set
Another derby now awaits them next Saturday in Montpellier, one of the favorites for the title. Not really the ideal place to get your head straightened out, is it?
Technical sheet
TOULOUSE 2 – SÈTE 3
(25-22 and 31', 25-18 and 32', 23-25 and 35', 23-25 and 31', 12-15 and 19').
Sports Palace, approximately 1,900 spectators.
Referees: Between Hayaux du Tilly and M. Vanderbeeken.
> TOULOUSE :
Starting six: Gill (4), Féral (30), Hervoir (13), Duflos-Rossi (10), Nack-Myniem (10), Petkov (8) then Picard (5), Piazzeta (1), Winkelmuller ( 4).
Libero : F. Santucci (ch.)./
Coach : Patrick DUFLOS.
> SÈTE:
Starting six: Gelinski (2), Gauna (3), De Leon (cap. 19), Gyimah (15), Rippert (2), Elser (5) then Hrytsenko (5), Schlienger (11), Cardin (8 ).
Libero : L. Lopez then M. Garcia./
Coach : Luc MARQUET.
France
Volleyball