France: Tours and Nantes to semifinals! Saint Nazaire re-open series vs. Chaumont, Tourcoing take the lead on Narbonne

Disclaimer: this article it was written by me, Danilo, on April 14, 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.

2022/23 Ligue A Playoffs Quarterfinals continued today with all Games 3…and first two verdicts.
About the two best placements in regular season, prediction respected, as leaders Tours and pursuers Nantes are the first two teams qualified for semifinals, and they did it after a 3-0 lead in their respective best-of-five series.

After losing first sets with the minimum gap 26-24 in which, however, staged a great comeback as defending champions Montpellier always had the control of the game even taking the lead 16-8, Tours won the second 26-28 this time with a comeback from 21-19 and, after a balanced start, they managed to win also third and fourth set, both 22-25, and to close the game in four sets (26:24, 26:28, 22:25, 22:25).
Luciano Palonsky and Aboubacar Drame Neto were the most efficient players on the winning side with 20 and 19 points respectively, but it was libero Benjamin Diez who was awarded MVP of the game with a solid performance in reception and in defense.

All easy, on the other hand, for Nantes who literally destroyed the hosts Sète in straight sets (18:25, 20:25, 17:25) in one hour and 20 minutes of play, led by Chizoba Neves Atu, absolute top scorer of the match with 25 points including 5 of his team’s 6 aces, 1 winning block and an impressive 72% in attack. To make the difference also the 13 winning blocks (only two for Sète), who say good bye to the run for the title after an exciting Game 1 last Saturday, solved only at tie break.

No.6 in regular season Saint Nazaire, after losing the first two games on the field of No.3 Chaumont, today, in front of their home fans, managed to defeat the rivals in first set (25:17, 21:25, 33:31, 25:22) and, above all, avoiding the rivals to take the lead in sets by winning the decisive third set after 46 minutes of play, 33-31.
Then, also the fourth was played on a very high level, closed again by the hosts 25-22.
In what was a pretty balanced game, to make the difference are the 27 points by absolute top scorer of the match Kyle Ensing (52% in attack and 2 aces), but also the 17 of Mendes Spencer (2 aces, 3 blocks and 75% in attack) and a good team performance.
On Sunday Game 4, again in Saint Nazaire, in which the Ligue A newcomers could tie the series and get a chance to play the decisive Game 5 (and a chance to clinch the semi-final) at Chaumont on Wednesday, or Chaumont, on the other hand could close the series.

After a balanced start, in which No.4 Narbonne managed to win Game 1 and No.5 Tourcoing Game 2, both played in Narbonne, today Tourcoing needed five sets and more than 2 hours of play to down the rivals after wasting a 2-0 lead, (25:19, 26:24, 21:25, 24:26, 15:10) to take the lead in the serie 2-1.
In a battle with lot of ups and downs in both sides, after suffering the comeback of Narbonne, who managed to level the score, the hosts were absolutely better in decisive fifth set, closed with a clear 15-10.
The winners, better in blocking with 13 points compared to 6 of the rivals, were led in score by Renan Buiatti, top scorer of the game with 27 points to his name through 62% in attack and 2 winning blocks, while MVP Ryley Barnes added 22, 1 ace, 6 blocks and 43% in attack.
On the losing side Willner Rivas and Jordi Ramon scored 21 and 20 points respectively.
On Sunday Tourcoing will have the chance to close the series in front of their home fans while Narbonne will have to win at any costs to tie the series and play the decisive Game 5 on their home soil, on Wednesday.

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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
• 20.09 (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