France: Tourcoing tie quarterfinal series with Narbonne 1-1. The others 2-0!

Disclaimer: this article it was written by me, Danilo, on April 10, and it’s protected by copyright.
I don’t authorize anyone to republish it or some of its parts translated into italian or other languages without citing ME or the original source. It is illegal.

All Games 2 of 2022/23 Ligue A Playoffs Quarterfinals best-of-five series were played today, and only one team managed to tie the score at 1-1: Tourcoing, who won on the field of Narbonne with a clear 0-3 (15:25, 20:25, 23:25), redeeming themselves after a four sets defeat on Saturday.
Today the players around head coach Mauricio Motta Paes were more aggressive and played a great game against a disappointing rival, who played only in third set (and managed to control until the end), but then wasted a 21-18 lead and allowed Tourcoing to close with the mininum gap, 23-25.
The winners were better basically in all elements, but above all in blocking, scored as many as 14 points in just three sets compared to Narbonne’s only 2, and they were led in score by brazilian giant Renan Buiatti, MVP and top scorer with 18 points to his name through 58% in attack, 3 blocks and 1 ace. Willner Rivas was the most efficient player among the hosts with 14 points.

With the only exception of first set, and the very beginning of the second, no problem today for regular season winners (and French Cup too) Tours, who down titleholders and eight placed Montpellier with the score of 3-0 (27:25, 25:19, 25:14).
Although they scored only 1 winning block and 3 aces, the guys around head coach Marcelo Fronckowiak played an outstanding performance in attack, with an impressive 71% and 3 players in double digit: Aboubacar Drame Neto, top scorer with 17 points, 1 ace, the only block scored by Tours and 79% in attack, Luciano Palonski, with 15 and 62%, and Pierre Derouillon, who also contributed with 11 and 79% too.
Theo Faure, on the losing side, reply with 16 points, all in attack, through 70%, but he wasn’t enough.

After a great Game 1 solved only at tie break, No.2 Nantes today needed four sets No.7 Sète (25:23, 21:25, 25:19, 25:19), after recover from 12-16 and 19-21 in first set, and losing the second. Since then, the game was absolute one-sided and the hosts managed to close the next two with the same score, 25-19, without problems and having from start to finish the control of the game.
Chizoba Neves Atu close the match as absolute top scorer with 26 points, 4 aces (9 to 4 in final stats), 3 winning blocks (13 to 6) and 48% in attack, while Tom Picard scored 17 points on the losing side, who suffered again the bad day of bomber Kyle Russell (9 points with only 32% in attack).

Close the picture third in regular season Chaumont, who needed four sets too to win a very nervous match against No.6 Saint Nazaire (25:22, 21:25, 25:18, 25:22).
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
MVP of the game expert Nathan Wounembaina, with 15 points through 50% in attack and 4 aces, including the three in a row, decisive in third set. Patrick Indra was the top
scorer with 17 points to his name, while Patick Gasman also contributed with 5 winning blocks.
Kyle Ensing with 15 points but with only 34% in attack was the most prolific player on the losing side.

All Games 3 on Friday, and Games 4 on Sunday in Tourcoing, Montpellier, Sète and Saint Nazaire, respectively.

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🏐| LIGUE A 2022/23 | PLAYOFFS | QUARTERFINALS

—GAME 1—

| Saturday | April 8, 2023
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tours (1) – Montpellier (8) 3-1 (25:20, 20:25, 25:21, 29:27)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Nantes (2) – Sète (7) 3-2 (27:29, 27:29, 25:21, 25:18, 15:10)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (3) – Saint Nazaire (6) 3-0 25:23, 25:22, 25:21)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Narbonne (4) – Tourcoing (5) 3-1 (22:25, 25:21, 25:17, 25:19)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

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—GAME 2—

👉🏼 Monday | April 10, 2023

• 18.00 (Local Time) | Tours (1) – Montpellier (8) 3-0 (27:25, 25:19, 25:14) Serie: 2-0

• 18.00 (Local Time) | Nantes (2) – Sète (7) 3-1 (25:23, 21:25, 25:19, 25:19) Serie: 2-0

• 18.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (3) – Saint Nazaire (6) 3-1 (25:22, 21:25, 25:18, 25:22) Serie: 2-0
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

• 18.00 (Local Time) | Narbonne (4) – Tourcoing (5) 0-3 (15:25, 20:25, 23:25) Serie: 1-1

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—GAME 3—

| Friday | April 14, 2023
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Montpellier (8) – Tours (1) 1-3 (26:24, 26:28, 22:25, 22:25) Serie: 0-3
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Sète (7) – Nantes (2) 0-3 (18:25, 20:25, 17:25) Serie: 0-3
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Saint Nazaire (6) – Chaumont (3) 3-1 (25:17, 21:25, 33:31, 25:22) Serie: 1-2
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing (5) – Narbonne (4) 3-2 (25:19, 26:24, 21:25, 24:26, 15:10) Serie: 2-1

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—GAME 4—

| Sunday | April 19, 2023
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Saint Nazaire (6) – Chaumont (3) 3-0 (25:21, 25:21, 25:23) Serie: 2-2
• 19.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing (5) – Narbonne (4) 2-3 (23:25, 25:23, 25:21, 22:25, 10:15) Serie: 2-2

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—GAME 5—

| Wednesday | April 19, 2023
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (3) – Saint Nazaire (6) 3-2 (25:23, 23:25, 22:25, 25:17, 15:9) Serie: 3-2
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Narbonne (4) – Tourcoing (5) 1-3 (23:25, 21:25, 29:27, 22:25) Serie: 2-3
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH