Challenge Cup: a super Narbonne defeat Halkbank at Golden Set to lift first trophy in club history!!!

3 min read

22 March 2022 Danilo

First-ever European campaign and immediately first trophy: this is the story of Narbonne Volley, who win 2022 CEV Challenge Cup over super favorite Turkish giants of Halkbank Ankara, after taking the Golden Set in the rematch of the final.

In their first-ever participation in any of the European cups, French club won the 3rd-tier continental club competition, supported by nearly 4,000 supercharged home fans at their Narbonne Arena, by 3-1 (25:22, 22:25, 25:22, 25:19).
A result which allowed them to play a Golden Set after losing 0-3 in the first leg in Turkey.
Narbonne took an incredible Golden Set that lasted 39 minutes (!) with a score of 21-19, lifting a historical trophy for the club.

Yes. Golden set was really amazing. It starts with Hernandez, and a counterattack out, as well as another error, which marks the 3-1, and he was replaced by Vucicevic.
The hosts take advantage with a winning block on Gulmezoglu, which is worth the 4-1, but the ace from Vucicevic (4-3) and a problem between setter Uriarte and a teammate level the score, 5-5. Balance until a winning block by Zerba over Vigrass, 11-9, and the ace from Rafael Araujo which marks the 12-9, but Zanotti waste the next free ball and his attack is out: 12-10. Argentinian outside-hitter redeem himself after a great action, 13-10, but a combative Halkbank recover again with a counterattack from Vucicevic with a net touch of the block (13-12), and an ace by
Gulmezoglu (13-13). Bayram (on the field in first line in place of Bruno) don’t close the ball of 13-14, but put down the ball
after another great action.
13-14, and Narbonne save 2 match points with an error from the setvice line of Gulmezoglu and a block on Bruno’s counterattack), and then reverse again the situation with a block by Ramos on Vucicevic: 16-15. Halkbank saves 4 times, until the 19-19, but a winning block by Bassereau and Zerba on Vucicevic
is worth the end of all games: 21-19, and Narbonne can start to celebrate!

Rémi Bassereau stood out the most on the winning side with 26 points, Argentine Lisandro Zanotti set up 5 blocks, while Brazilian Rafael Araújo served 4 aces.
Nicolás Bruno scored 18 points for Halkbank, while Canadian Graham Vigrass set up 4 blocks.
The guests also suffered the bad day of their top player Hernandez, author of only 9 points and -3% efficiency in attack, before watching almost all Golden Set from the bench.
Either way Narbonne was better on all elements, besides the direct points from a serve (seven to four aces for Halkbank. In attack and on blocking, the French side controlled the game completely, finishing with as many as 70 winning spikes and 17 winning blocks vs. 53 attacks and 11 blocks by their opponents respectively!

“I don’t have any words, it’s an incredible feeling. We are so happy for the club, for the city, for all the people here in the hall who supported us. It is just amazing!” said Ludovic Duee, Libero of Narbonne Volley.