Volleyball | Chaumont's masterful rout in the Champions League

The last memory of Volleyball that we have in mind is that of the Olympic Games, and the gold medal to boot. Suffice it to say that our relationship with this sport has largely cooled. But fortunately, Chaumont Volley-Ball 52 came through to restore the image of this discipline. And in what way please.

Chaumont couldn't have hoped for a better entry

First in the regular season last year, Chaumont experienced disappointment in the playoffs of the French championship, beaten in the semi-finals by Tours. So the CVB is keen to make amends with its supporters this season, and this redemption was to begin in the Champions League. For their first match on the field of Lüneburg, also the reigning semi-finalist of the Bundesliga, everything started well for the French.

Against the Germans, Chaumont pockets the first two sets (25-17, 25-23) and is only one round away from settling the bill. The two teams are at 23-23, the Chaumontais are two points from the match. It’s also the beginning of the end for the CVB. Indeed, Silvano Prandi's players lost this third set (24-26), then rode this dynamic and also dropped the fourth (19-25). Only the tie-break can decide between the two teams, and a victory for Chaumont would spoil this almost shipwreck. But fortunately, the Chaumontais feel charged with a mission, that of saving the reputation of volleyball in our premises.

After saving a first match point, the second is one too many. Chaumont lost after two hours of effort in the tie-break (13-15) in five sets, after having won the first two. We're not volleyball experts, but we know a comeback when we see one. The only downside of the evening; for a reason totally unbearable to our taste, the Chaumontais still glean a point despite their setback. It goes to show that we are not the only ones to reward defeats in this world.