Nice Volley-Ball secured their first home victory of the season on Friday night at Palmeira. The local team defeated Rennes (3-1) in an important match for maintaining their position. Following the victory at Beauvais, Ligue A is finally underway for Alex Damiao’s teammates!
Welcoming Rennes for the 5th day of Ligue A, the Nice volleyball players were hoping to confirm their regained form. Everything went well at the Palmeira hall on Friday night, as NVB defeated their opponent 3 sets to 1 in a convincing performance. The yellow and blue team put on a fine display for the large crowd, attracted by the “1000 at Palmeira” initiative (tickets at 1 euro).
An important victory (25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 25-19), achieved against a direct competitor for staying in the league. By keeping their adversaries at bay from the start, S. Lozencic’s men made their task easier. Rennes exhibited a disorganized play in their transmissions. Therefore, the locals comfortably took the first two sets.
But Rennes could not take the Nice assaults without responding after such a long trip. The Bretons answered right after the break, winning the third set despite Nice having a match point.
However, hope was short-lived for the opposition. The passer-attacker connection was working perfectly, as seen with Raphaël Mrozeck (19 points). Nice earned 10 match points in the 4th set. The 5th one finally succeeded, securing the victory for NVB.
Palmeira also thrilled at the appearance of Alex Damiao. The Brazilian star had not played for many months due to a shoulder injury. Number 8 played for a few minutes, receiving an ovation from the audience for scoring his first point.
Reactions from Rémy Kraska and Slobodan Lozencic
The captain: “We didn’t ease up to maintain the positive momentum started at Beauvais. We will continue like this.”
The coach: “It’s a great victory with a lot of determination. The atmosphere was pleasant. The boys deserve the victory. I’m happy after a challenging start to the championship.”
