winner in the tie-break in Nice, Tours qualifies for the semi-finals

Of our special envoy to Nice

Nice – Tours : 2-3

The volleyball towers was determined not to go out in Nice. With his first two successes gleaned in Grenon on April 4 and 6, he hoped to fold his quarter -final in three games. It’s done: the Tourangeaux won 2-3.

But they should have fought to get this third and decisive success! This meeting in Nice was indeed as expected, with this “interior and exterior pressure” as Zeljko Coric warned and especially a Nice team back to the wall and much more impactful, and also solid, faced with Tours assaults.

This is how after having led four lengths in the first round, it took five set balls on the TVB to tear it away 28-30 (not without having erased one for Nice at 24-23). He was then going to win the second on a score still so narrow (26-28), and this time at the price of four set balls.

But it was far from being enough: in the match, and aware of being, also pushed by its audience, Nice imposed a fight of every moment, with an always solid reception and an impressive defense which will have ended up being right of the Tourangeaux. In the third set, conceded 25-20, but also in the fourth, lost 25-22.

And what about the tie-break! Hanging – Sweet Euphemism! – stressful, breathless, even frankly unbearable with two game balls for the TVB scrutinized in the video challenge: the first erased and the second validated on a full line of Alexandre Strehlau!

Now place to the semi-final for the VB towers, which will face the duel winner between Montpellier and Cannes. This Saturday evening, it was Montpellier who took control by winning 0-3 (19-25, 16-25, 24-26). But in this series, a fourth match, at least, will be necessary since there were 1-1 after the first two games played in Montpellier.

Sets: 28-30, 26-28, 25-20, 25-22, 14-16

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