Alterna Stade Poitevin
Tours
Jackson Howe got a little extra for Christmas. And we're not talking about the brunch that the Canadian center shared, Wednesday noon, with Thibaut Thoral, Tino Hanzic, Renan Michelucci, Chris Byam and Brett Walsh, but about the training on December 25 when, a few hours after the collective meal , he found himself alone at the net facing the No. 1 passer at Alterna Stade Poitevin to repeat his ranges at the net without touching a single ball.
Timing, positioning, movement, crossing, the exercise lasted several minutes under the watchful eye of Dan Lewis who, a few minutes earlier, had had a little discussion with his protégé on the block. A little reminder for a “Grand Derby” against neighboring Tours, this Friday, at the Futuroscope Arena. And that couldn't hurt the Canadian center, but also his teammates, including Renan Michelucci, back after missing his team's last ten matches, who have worked collectively on this sector of play in recent weeks.
“We need to counter”
Because it did not escape Dan Lewis that his team had not been able to achieve the slightest winning counter against Chaumont on the last day. An unfortunate first for an MSL team this season. “It scared me a littleslips the Canadian technician. It was hard, Chaumont attacked hard but it was still weird. They gave a lot of balls to the sharp who found himself facing Earvin (Nagapeth) and Thibaut (Thoral)who are not our best blockers, but normally we still manage to block. This means that in terms of timing, position and crossing, we had shortcomings. » Which can, in part, be explained by the upheavals within the Poitevin squad after the departure of Dusan Nikolic.
The forces present.
© (Infographic NR-CP)
The art of counterattack is a precision mechanism, resulting as much from a collective organization as from an individual discipline. With his fifteen winning blocks in ten matches, the Serbian point guard took up space at the net. His replacement Bozidar Vucicevic or Chris Byam much less for the moment, to apply the often winning game plans of the stadium staff. “The change of point also changes the rhythm a littleexplains Dan Lewis. But we need to counter. » Better, in any case, than against Chaumont, Montpellier (3 winning blocks), or during the first two sets against Toulouse when the Stadistes had only blocked one ball from the Spacer's before catching up during the next three rounds ( 14 winning blocks).
2 winning blocks on average per set
The potential is therefore there, as also proven by the average of two successful blocks per set by the Poitevin collective, the eighth best performer in the exercise in MSL. Worse than Montpellier (2.68 winning blocks) but better than Tours (1.64 winning blocks) for example. And this, despite the physical deficit observed compared to other training courses. “We are not the highest but we can still reach a good level”recalls the Alterna SPVB coach. By being able to put a lot of pressure on serve.
Because solidity on the counter also depends on the quality of the throws into play. The more difficulty the opponent's reception is put in, the less the attacker is served by his passer in a good position. With these famous “R/” and “R!” signs. » sought by any coach on the opponent's statistics sheet, synonymous with average or even poor receptions, with the consequences of high balls to be negotiated for the attacker at the net and additional time for counter training. And more possibilities to drop the ball into the opposing camp or, at least, to slow it down to better defend and rebuild behind.
But for this, Alterna Stade Poitevin, which was unable to win a single set in Montpellier and against Chaumont, will have to block against the Tourangeaux at the Arena Futuroscope.
Live on BeIN SPORTS 1 from 6:30 p.m.
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