The Nice Volley-Ball players were back at the Giamarchi/Palmeira hall this Sunday. The Niçois started their season with a victory, against Toulouse, 3 sets to 1.
The people of Nice, with intense preparation and a targeted recruitmentwere hoping to start strong this Sunday against Toulouse. And, it was! A great victory, 3 sets to 1. The team is relying this year on a close-knit collective and individualities who showed their talent during the pre-season. Their goal? Get back to the top of the rankings (12th last season) and reach the playoffsor even more…
Premier set
Nice started the meeting in the best possible way. Thanks to powerful and varied servicesthe Eagles quickly take the lead. The Niçois lead 4-2, then 7-5. The gap is gradually widening. THE incisive attackscoupled with opposing errorsallow them to increase their lead to 13-9. Toulouse is struggling to keep up. The people of Nice take advantage of this and continue to widen the gap : 14-9, then 17-11. The Toulouse defense cracks under pressure. At 19-13, then 21-15, Nice keeps control. Despite a slight start from Toulouse at the end of the set, the Niçois did not weaken. The score is clear: 25-18 in favor of Nice.
Second set
Toulouse begins this second round with full of pride. After losing the first set, the Toulouse residents quickly displayed their desire to react. They take the lead, leading 4-2, then 10-7. But Nice, pushed by its audience, don’t wait to react. The Niçois first get back to 4-4, then come back to a small point, 14-13. The game then becomes a real showdown. The two teams go blow for blow, never leaving more than two points apart. Toulouse tries to keep the advantage, but Nice does not give in and equalizes at 16-16. It is finally Nice which makes the difference at 20-19, for the first time in the lead in this set. Toulouse, under pressure, falters at this crucial moment. The Azuréens took advantage and, in a breathtaking end to the round, won 26-24thus sealing their superiority in this second round.
Third set
The beginning takes place under tension, the two teams going blow for blow. HAS 14 everywherethe suspense is at its height. This is when Nice falters. Toulouse, in great shape, took advantage and took the lead. The people of Toulouse take the lead, 19-14widening a gap that is difficult to fill. Despite Nice’s efforts to come back, Toulouse remains in control. Nice tries to reduce the gap, returning to 20-16. But Toulouse does not waver. More precise, more solid, they connect the points. The set ends with a 25-19 in favor of the visitorsthus reigniting the suspense for the rest of the meeting. The rest promises to be just as contested.
Fourth set
Nice perfectly mastered this fourth set against Toulouse. From the start, the Aiglons impose their rhythm. Well in place, they avoid any deconcentration and return to the basics which made them successful in the first two sets. Very quickly, they take the advantage (2-0, 5-4), showing unfailing defensive solidity. The meeting increases in intensity, but the Niçois stay the course. Mid-set, they managed to widen the gap (10-7, then 12-9), demonstrating a great collective mastery. Toulouse, for its part, is struggling to keep up. Seeing their lead growing, the Côte d’Azur players took off on the scoreboard (16-10, 17-11). The gap becomes insurmountable for the Toulouse residents, who gradually seem to give up. The Aiglons took advantage of this to accelerate and gave their opponents no respite. The score swells (20-12), before disappearing definitively (23-14). Eventually, it is with a net score of 25-16 that Nice brilliantly concludes this round.
Next meeting for the Eagles: Montpellier, leader of the Marmara Spike League. See you next Friday at 8 p.m..
