The end of the season in Marmara Spikeligue is in full swing. Fighting for survival, Nice Volley Ball was away on Plessis-Robinson’s field.
With three matches left to the end of the season, the battle is fierce at the bottom of the standings. On the grounds of Plessis-Robinson, Nice Volley Ball had the opportunity to make a gap and secure their stay. Facing a team in a negative dynamic with three consecutive losses and nothing left to play for, Nice had the chance to make a significant impact. All the more since the Owls suit the Eagles well (6 wins in the last 10 encounters).
But the start of the match turned in favor of the locals. Nice struggled to get into the game and benefited from their opponents’ mistakes. After ten points, Matteo Schalk scored the first attack for Nice. Following that, it’s the captain Rodney Ah-Kong who took charge of the game and scored consecutive winning points. Despite this, Nice made too many errors and fell behind in the score during the critical moments. The first set went to the Alto Séquanais (25-19).
Nice Volley Ball takes the lead
The second set was very tight. Both attacks were challenged, and blocks followed one another. Driven by their trio Valerii Todua, Matteo Schalk, and their top scorer Simon Hirsch, the Eagles held on. It was finally thanks to a service error by the Owls’ opposite hitter, Samuel Jeanlys, that Nice took the lead and eventually concluded the second set (25-23) with a final attack by Lazar Koprivica.
Nice came back to level the sets at one each, but Plessis-Robinson didn’t back down. The players from the Parisian suburb raced ahead to lead quickly (7-2). A lead that should have been decisive. But Rodney Ah-Kong had different ideas. The middle blocker rallied and put his team back on track, well-supported by Valerii Todua. The Eagles caught up and raised doubts in the Owls’ minds. It was ultimately thanks to two blocks by their captain that Nice took the lead again at the end of the set. François Rebeyrol completed the task and gave the advantage to Nice (25-22).
The Eagles hold firm in decisive moments
The fourth set was a carbon copy of the previous two. Neither team managed to create a gap. Plessis-Robinson was very disciplined. But the Nice team spirit ultimately made the difference in the latter part of this set. The Maralpins took up to a five-point lead (18-23). The game was sealed, and it was François Rebeyrol once again, who concluded the match.
The NVB secured victory (19-25/25-23/25-22/25-22) and moved closer to staying in the league with 18 points. Fabrice Chalendar’s men could have even officially celebrated if Saint Jean-d’Illac hadn’t won against Saint-Nazaire. Therefore, they will have to wait until next Saturday to officialize their stay against… Saint Jean d’Illiac! Join us at 7 PM at the Palmera hall to cheer on the Eagles in this crucial match for the club’s future.
