France: Chaumont and Tours to semifinals! Poitiers to Game 4. Montpellier down Cannes again

Games 3 of 2024/25 Marmara Spike League has been played today with first two verdicts with first two teams who claimed their tickets for semifinals, Chaumont and Tours.
The first one, after struggling in Game 1 and a four sets win in Game 2, both played at home, celebrated a 0-3 (23:25, 17:25, 23:25) win on the field of Toulouse to close their best-of-five series with the score of 3-0.
In front of more than 2000 home fans in Toulouse, Nathan Feral led the charge leaving the court as top scorer with 21 points to his name through 67% in attack, 2 aces and 1 block, but unfortunately for the home team, he wasn’t enough. MVP Mathis Henno scored 14 points, all in attack, for the winners with 64% efficiency, well supported by an almost perfect Lukas Maase, who added 12 through 73% in attack and 1 block, and Pierre Toledo, also in double digit with 10.
After winning first two games in front of their home fans without major problems, Tours needed a great resilience and a great team performance to win on the field of Nice at tie break, 2-3 (28:30, 26:28, 25:20, 25:22, 14:16), a match that was played on a very high level, lasted as many as 2 hours and 52 minutes!
The hosts played a great volleyball and, after being down 0-2, were able to perform an amazing comeback, also thanks to a powerful performance in blocking, scoring as many as 17 points from this element, compared to the winners’9. However, it wasn’t enough and they have to surrender at 14-16 of a tie break, with a video check that was worth the 14-14 after a set that ended 13-15!
Ryan Sclater and Alexandre Strehlau led the charge with 22 and 18 points respectively for Tours, while Leandro Santos earned MVP honors with 7, 40% in attack and 3 blocks. Simon Hirsch was the most prolific player for Nice with 22 points to his name followed by Lars Migge and Alexandros Raptis, who added 19 and 18, respectively.
After an unexpected straight sets home defeat in Game 1, regular season winners Montpellier inflicted their second straight sets defeat to No.8 Cannes, this time away. Struggling only in third set, in which the hosts tried to reopen the game, the winners were led in score by Dimitar Dimitrov, absolute top scorer of the match with 21 points to his name through 62% in attack and 1 ace, while setter Raphael Corre was named MVP of the game.
After two defeats on the field of Tourcoing, Poitiers reopen quarterfinal series with a hard-fought 3-1 (25:21, 23:25, 25:23, 27:25) win, almost 2000 home fans, more than 2 hours of play and 23 points from top scorer and MVP Nik Mujanovic (46% in attack and 1 block).
Games 4 on Monday.

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🏐| MARMARA SPIKE LEAGUE 2024/25 | QUARTERFINALS (best-of-five)

Game 1

Friday, April 4 2025
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (2) – Toulouse (7) 3-2 (25:19, 20:25, 23:25, 32:30, 16:14) Series: 1-0
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Montpellier (1) – Cannes (8) 0-3 (22:25, 22:25, 18:25) Series: 0-1
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing (3) – Poitiers (6) 3-1 (25:23, 27:29, 25:21, 27:25) Series: 1-0
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tours (4) – Nice (5) 3-0 (25:19, 25:21, 25:21) Series: 1-0

Game 2

Sunday, April 6 2025
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Chaumont (2) – Toulouse (7) 3-1 (25:22, 20:25, 25:18, 25:21) Series: 2-0
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Montpellier (1) – Cannes (8) 3-0 (25:23, 25:22, 25:22) Series: 1-1
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing (3) – Poitiers (6) 3-1 (25:16, 20:25, 31:29, 28:26) Series: 2-0
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Tours (4) – Nice (5) 3-1 (23:25, 25:12, 25:17, 25:19) Series: 2-0

Game 3

👉🏼Saturday, April 12 2025

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Toulouse (7) – Chaumont (2) 0-3 (23:25, 17:25, 23:25) Series: 0-3

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Cannes (8) – Montpellier (1) 0-3 (19:25, 16:25, 24:26) Series: 1-2

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Poitiers (6) – Tourcoing (3) 3-1 (25:21, 23:25, 25:23, 27:25) Series: 1-2

• 20.00 (Local Time) | Nice (5) – Tours (4) 2-3 (28:30, 26:28, 25:20, 25:22, 14:16) Series: 0-3
| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

Game 4

Monday, April 14 2025
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Cannes (8) – Montpellier (1) 2-3 (25:22, 22:25, 25:21, 18:25, 12:15) Series: 1-3
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Poitiers (6) – Tourcoing (3) 3-1 (25:22, 25:23, 20:25, 31:29) Series: 2-2

Game 5

Friday, April 18 2025
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Tourcoing (3) – Poitiers (6) 2-3 (25:20, 19:25, 25:21, 22:25, 10:15) Series: 2-3

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