Tours : 3
Saint-Nazaire: 1
And five! This Friday, November 29, Tours Volley-Ball won its fifth victory in three weeks. A series interrupted, certainly, by a setback in Tourcoing, but it is starting to be sufficiently consistent to suggest that the Tourangeaux are well and truly launched into their season. And more than anything, they finally manage to bring to fruition the work they have done and in which they have continued to believe over the weeks.
A TVB version 2, while waiting for the following ones
Facing Saint-Nazaire, a diminished French champion (if Spencer was present without entering, Devèze was absent, forcing Fulvio Bertini to put Martins in the libero position for the second time in a row) but who retains some very strong weapons like Jordan Ewert, it was a TVB version 2 that stood out. It being understood that there are still a few other versions left to offer in order to pretend to be the big guys at the end of the season…
But the people of Tours can already appreciate their strength at the end of November! Because Saint-Nazaire initially put them in difficulty, with a quality of service which shook their reception, and in particular Roland Gergye. A first act “at the wrong rhythm”says Luca Ramon, but which already offered some nice battles and above all many ties (17 recorded!).
But the TVB ended up getting stuck. Like Hermans Egleskalns, who was blocked three times in a roughly identical pattern from 15-16… Pothron's attack outside, synonymous with 20-22, also hurt, d 'as much as the Nazairiens were in an expected register, as solid in defense as they were aggressive in attack. The young Henri Léon was perhaps only at 33% offensive success in this round, yet it was he who gave the first set point to the SNVBA (21-24), with a powerful attack precisely . The second was good for Titouan Hallé (22-25).
The key entrance to Quiroga
However, far from getting annoyed, far from giving up, Tours continued its work to inevitably pick up the lead, round after round. The SNVBA was going to be a “victim” of the very good entry of Gonzalo Quiroga in place of Gergye, when the score was then 4-6 in the second round, but above all of an intractable TVB on serve-receive and solid on the block -defense. Which, obviously, was a lot! So the second, third and fourth rounds were pretty similar.
Pothron flashed at 116 km/h
In the second set, the TVB first snatched a point that was anything but trivial, following a very collective defense that Marshman concluded (7-7). Then it was Antoine Pothron who caused the break on his throw-in, with an ace flashed at 116 km/h please. A 4-0 that the No. 6 from Tours took care to open himself with a superb attack. At 11-8, the TVB was launched, certainly also liberated when, conversely, Saint-Nazaire made a mistake. The points kept coming, the aces too (3) and Quiroga – author of a 100% attack throughout the match – concluded this round at 25-18.
Bis repeated in the third, therefore. This time with six aces, sprinkled throughout the round, but the series signed by Marshman while Saint-Nazaire tried in vain to stay with the Basques of Tours (19-16) hurt a lot. The American central, who had just ensured a reception followed by an attack in “ballet” mode with Coric, chained three school aces, worked, deposited to the great displeasure of Hallé and Martins and the entire SNVBA, who found himself relegated to 23-16 and finally 25-17 on… an attack from Quiroga!
And then, ter repeated… This time, Saint-Nazaire gave up slowly but surely (12-9, 16-14, 21-15). The Touraine machine was a little too relentless, whether by Egleskalns, in attack as well as in service, Aracaju, who reigned in the center, Coric who went there with a first hand, or Marshman who, like a good MVP, concluded the meeting at 25-20.
In a slightly happy way, certainly. Something to make him smile. But luck often smiles on the confident team…
The statistics of the meeting.
© (Infographic NR)
