#France Round 23: Tours win against Chaumont, Ajaccio super in Montpellier, Poitiers and Nantes ok.

Also round 23 of the French Ligue A has been completed. After the victories of Sete and Narbonne respectively over Toulouse and Nice, Tours wins against Chaumont at tie break in the big match of the round. Victory in straight sets for Poitiers and Nantes respectively against Cannes and Tourcoing, and what a victory for Ajaccio! 3:1 away against Montpellier.
In details, a very balanced match between Tours and Chaumont: in fact, the fight ended only at the tie break, after 5 sets played in alternating currents. Ironically, only the tie break was really fought, with Chaumont having a much better start (2:5), but Tours managed to make a comeback and took the lead until 12:8. Then a new comeback by Chaumont, who however fails to close the set, won by the hosts 15:13.
Top scorer of the match was a Chaumont’s player: Julien Winkelmuller, which scored 26 points and 52% in attack. On the winning side, Nathan Wounembaina had 21 and a good 63% in attack.
With this victory, Tours is confirmed itself at the top of the standings with 54 points, and behind Montpellier, which remains with 43 points after a great, superb victory of Ajaccio, which goes to -1 and rises to third place.
Ajaccio which wins in four sets against Montpellier, in a battle led by Milan Pepic, author of 30 points, including two aces, and a 64% in attack that leaves no chance to the rivals. Thimotee Carle also contributed 17 points, and Dejan Radic with 4 winning blocks (9 total for Ajaccio) in this great team performance.
Very few problems for Poitiers, which wins in straight sets against Cannes. Apparently, I have to write a comment on this latest defeat of Cannes: what should I say? Only congratulations to Poitiers who, despite some blackouts during the game, managed to be effective enough to win one set after another. El Graoui and Kutsmus were the best scorers of the match with 14 points each, with respectively 55% and 68% in attack, while Zopie also contributed with 6 winning blocks (11 points in total).
In Cannes the best scorer was Hamzagic with 12 points and 45% in attack, while Koncilja scored 11 points (including 3 winning-blocks) and 100% in attack (8/8).
A curiosity: the spikers of Cannes, Lomba and Mecharov, respectively scored 2 and 3 points, with 17% and 25% in attack, while the other middleblocker, D’Almeida, scored 4 points including a block and two aces, with 20% in attack. Only an observation, but with these numbers is it possible to win a match?
Poitiers moved up to seventh in the standings with 32 points, ahead of Nantes (31), which won in straight sets against Tourcoing in the direct battle for play offs.
It was a good match for Nantes, which confirms the eighth place in the standings, and is currently in the play off zone. The opposite Michalovic was the best scorer of the game with 18 points and 53% in attack, while Noda and Tuitoga contributed with 10 points each. On the other side the best scorer was Klyamar with 12 points, and Tourcoing probably paid the “bad” evening of Jimenez, who didn’t play at his usual high levels (this evening 11 points and “only” 40% in attack).