Volleyball: a special season which does not prevent Arago de Sète from being ambitious

After a summer season which was a great success on the beach, with for example the Olympic gold medalist Benjamin Toniutti coming to make an appearance during the beach camp or the success of the Green Arago with 400 players, it’s time for the indoor season.

Rising youth

And it is with a renewed workforce in great width that the Arago is preparing to take its departure. “This group was built along several important axes”specifies president Alain Bilicki. “First of all, I want to ensure that there is always at least one player from Sète in the group. After Hugo Fouillade and Matthieu Garcia, we will have Enzo Lopez who signed his first professional contract. He is only 18 years old, but is considered a big French hope in his position as libero, world champion with the French U19 team and now European U20 and U22 champion. » Promising youth in Sète. “The latest promotion from the France division is considered the strongest since the Toniutti / Ngapeth generation. At Arago, we will have three players from this generation with, in addition to Enzo Lopez, Tristan Schlienger, 2.09 m point forward, and Jean-Marc Kalato, 2.08 m central blocker. Finally, we targeted players with a physical dimension, important now to be competitive at the highest level, but also with a big personality to face a season which will, by definition, be special since we will not be playing at Barrou. . »

Homeless

This is the specificity (even the danger) of this season. Arago, deprived of its cauldron until January 2026, will be the homeless of the Marmara SpikeLigue. Five matches, between October 6 and March 16, will be scheduled in Béziers, two others in Castelnau-le-Lez (November 16 and January 25). The remaining five will be done at the Maurice-Vié gymnasium. “It was important to be able to continue to develop partly in Sète”continues the president of Arago. “Already for our supporters and our partners, but also because the team will train in Maurice-Vié and will therefore have its sporting marks in this room. »

We will still have to adapt, including in the stands. “In Vié, as the number of places available will be very limited, we had to make choices. Only previous subscribers will be able to take out a subscription this season, the rest of the available places, around a hundred, will be put on sale for each match on a first come, first served basis. However, we have planned a system to allow our supporters to follow these matches with a transmission of the meetings within the Arago village in Barrou. » For the posters which will take place in Béziers and Montpellier, classic ticketing will be available.

Top 4 for Christmas?

In these conditions, what can be the objectives? “In recent seasons, the objectives stated from the start have perhaps put too much pressure on the players and the management. So this year, we gave ourselves a first objective: to finish in the top four in the first legs, we will make an initial assessment at that time. I don’t think this is too ambitious given the quality of recruitment. Gelinski was French champion with Luc Marquet in Cannes three seasons ago, Elser was an essential part of his German club which went to the final of the CEV European Cup. And Gyimah, the other Canadian, is a player who can become the revelation in MSL at the central position this season. The Brazilian De Leon has a technical/size combination which has made him a reference since he played in France. Without forgetting Cardin who will inevitably be very vengeful as well as our net metronome Gauna. »

Health first!

It’s up to the players to cope with playing and training conditions which will not necessarily be optimal. “The only thing that concerns me and which has seriously handicapped us in recent seasons is injuries. Since I have been president, we have not had a season without our top striker being injured for almost half of the season. Célestin Cardin last year, Russell two years ago and Tupchii the year I took over as president… I spoke about it with sports management, there will be very close vigilance on this dimension this season. »