France: Tours down Chaumont at golden set - Champions of France!

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Tours is the new Champions of France!
After the bad defeat on the field of the rivals in first leg, today the players around head coach Marcelo Fronckowiak took their revenge and, after beating Chaumont in straight sets too (25:16, 25:16, 27:25), they complete the work also with Golden Set, won with a clear 15-10 to take the 9th title in club’s history.

The clash began in a very hot atmosphere in Tours’ Salle-Grenon, where the hosts literally dominate the first set, closed with a clear 25-16, and with a great control of the game: 6-4, then 12-7, and Silvano Prandi takes his first timeout following a new Touraine block. But nothing to do, 15-9…Tours’ advantage even reached nine points after a double error of Corre and Gasman in Chaumont’s jersey: 21-12. Silvano Prandi’s guys were unable to comeback and suffered the attacks of Palonsky and Drame Neto. To close the first set was an attack from Ferreira, then named MVP of the match with 20 points to his name through 58% in attack and 5 of Tours’ 14 wining blocks (against 9 of the rivals).
Although Tours started the second set with the same energy taking the lead, 6-2, Chaumont this time react and, taking advantage of the hosts’ errors from the service line, they equalized after an attack from Gasman (7-7).
Again, Tours will accelerate to regain 3 lengths ahead thanks to their block/defense, 13-9. Double change for Chaumont, Pierre Toledo and Cédric Da Silva make their entry in place of Raphaël Corre and Patrik Indra.
But nothing to do as, led by decisive Drame Neto and Teryomenko, Tours continue their run putting down the ball of +8 with an attack from Ferreira, 20-12, and then they close the set with another 25-16.
The third set was the most exciting one, and It was necessary to wait for the score of 9-11 to see a gap of two points, the first one for Chaumont. Two attacks in a row from Ferreira allowed TVB to equalize (14-14), the two teams continued to fight, but it was again Tours to take the lead, 21-20. They are Ferreira and Palonsky who allowed to snatch the golden set, closing the set 27-25, admist the support of the home fans.

From the start of decisive Golden Set, Tours puts pressure on the rivals with an ace. But quickly they answered with a block, 2-2.
TVB regained the lead, 7-5, with a Coric attack, and then an ace from Palonsky.
The hot home fans don’t give up, and Tours needed only one of their five match points to win the game.
And they did it, closing with a clear 15-10 to regain the title of Champions of France for the first time since 2019!
For Chaumont, on the other hand, another delusion: after the only title won in 2017, they suffered 4 defeats in finals, 3 against the same Tours.

In addition to MVP and top scorer Ferreira, decisive also Drame Neto and Palonaky, who also contributed with 16 points each: the firet with 57% in attack and 3 winning blocks, and the second with an impressive 73% in attack, 2 winning blocks and 3 aces. Patrick Indra and Patrick Gasman were the most prolific players on Chaumont’s jersey with 12 and 11 points respectively.

📸 | PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

🥇| AWARDS CEREMONY IN PHOTOS

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🏐| LIGUE A 2022/23 | PLAYOFFS | FINAL

—GAME 1—

| Saturday | May 6, 2023
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (3) – Tours (1) 3-0 (25:20, 28:26, 25:17)
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

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—GAME 2—

👉🏼 Saturday | May 13, 2023
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tours – Chaumont 3-0 (25:16, 25:16, 27:25) – Golden Set: 15-10
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

🥇| AWARDS CEREMONY IN PHOTOS