France: Tours eliminate Chaumont and fly to final! Tourcoing and Saint Nazaire to Game 3

They did it again.
Defending champions Tours, after a disastrous start in 2023/24 Marmara Spike League and “only” 4th place in the final standings, eliminated Chaumont who dominated regular season.
After the success at tie break in Game 1 on the field of the rivals, the players around head coach Fronckowiak repeated themselves in front of their home fans with a 3-1 (23:25, 27:25, 26:24, 25:18) hard-fought win, at least in first three sets, as Chaumont collapsed in the fourth one.
Aboubacar Drame Neto was once again top scorer of the match leaving the court with 20 points to his name through 57% in attack, but decisive were also middle blockers Leandro and MVP Michael Parkinson, with 11 points each (6 winning blocks for the Dutch), and Luciano Palonsky fielded already in the starting six, great protagonist with 65% in reception. For Chaumont, who played with both opposites Patrick Indra and Pierre Toledo, 18 points for a great Patrick Gasman were not enough.
To know their rivals in Final, the 14th one in last 14 editions of French Championship, Tours will have to wait Game 3 between Tourcoing and Saint-Nazaire, series in which field advantage has never been respected. In fact, after the 1-3 in Game 1, also Game 2 has been closed with the same score (25:20, 19:25, 21:25, 18:25), despite several absences. Decisive, once again, Pablo Kukartsev with his 22 points including 2 aces and 2 winning blocks, but also 11 blocks, while among the hosts, in addition to 8 aces, also 5 players in double digit: top scorer Halle Titouan, who left the court with 14 points, Jordan Ewert, who added 13, Kyle Ensing and Helder Mendes Spencer, with 12 and 11, respectively, and Jordan Schnitzer, with 10.
Decisive Game 3 on Saturday on the field of today’s winners.

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🏐| 2023/24 MARMARA SPIKE LEAGUE | Semifinals

GAME 1

Sunday April 14, 2024
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont – Tours 2-3 (21:25, 25:19, 25:20, 22:25, 12:15) Series: 0-1
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing – Saint Nazaire 1-3 (25:22, 26:28, 14:25, 22:25) Series: 0-1

GAME 2

👉🏼Wednesday April 17, 2024

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tours – Chaumont 3-1 (23:25, 25:27, 26:24, 25:18) Series: 2-0

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Saint Nazaire – Tourcoing 1-3 (25:20, 19:25, 21:25, 18:25) Series: 1-1

GAME 3

Saturday April 20, 2024
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing – Saint Nazaire 1-3 (25:22, 20:25, 19:25, 20:25) Series: 1-2

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