France: Royan stun champions Montpellier. Toulouse, Cannes, Chaumont, Paris, Tourcoing and Tours open 2026/27 season with wins too

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The 2026/27 Alterna VOLSTAR season opened on Saturday with a first round full of contrasting stories, from convincing straight-set victories to dramatic five-set battles.
The biggest headline came from Royan, who marked their arrival in the top flight by overturning a two-set deficit to defeat reigning French champions Montpellier 3-2. Cannes also had to fight back from behind to claim a thrilling away win at Poitiers, while Toulouse, Chaumont, Paris, Tourcoing, and Tours began their campaigns with three-points victories.

For Royan, the result was particularly significant. The newly promoted side, champions of France’s second division last season, faced one of the toughest possible tests in their first match at this level.
Montpellier arrived as reigning champions and with a place in the Champions League on their schedule, making the challenge even greater for the hosts. Yet Royan refused to give in after losing the first two sets, both 22-25. They edged a tense third set 29-27, carried that momentum into the fourth to win 25-22 and completed a memorable comeback with a 15-13 victory in the tie-break. It was an outstanding start for a club determined to prove it belongs among France’s elite.
Great protagonist of the match Cheikh Diop, author of 31 points through 62% in attack, 2 blocks and 3 aces, while Simon Hirsch and Nicolas Le Goff both scored 20 points for Montpellier.

Cannes also showed considerable resilience in their 3-2 victory at Poitiers. The hosts took the opening set 25-23, but Cannes responded in a closely fought second, winning 27-25 to level the match. The visitors then moved ahead 2-1 before Poitiers forced a deciding set with a 25-22 win in the fourth. The tie-break remained on a knife-edge until the final points, with Cannes eventually prevailing 16-14 to secure an important away victory. Jakub Bucki led the winners with 27 points to his name through 53% in attack, 2 blocks and 7 of his team’s 13 aces!

Tourcoing enjoyed one of the most convincing performances of the opening round, sweeping aside Narbonne in straight sets. The hosts established their superiority with a dominant 25-15 first set and followed it with a 25-20 win. Narbonne improved in the third, but Tourcoing held firm to close out the match 25-23. The winners recorded as many as 17 winning blocks in just three sets, compared to Narbonne only 1, while Venislav Antov tallied 19 points through 62% in attack and 1 block.

Chaumont were equally effective away from home, defeating Plessis-Robinson 3-0. After taking the opening set 25-23, the visitors controlled the next two, winning both 25-19 to begin the campaign with all three points, led by Shay Liberman who, on the day of his 21st birthday, left the court as top scorer with 16 points to his name through 61% in attack, 1 block and 4 aces. Setter Thomas Gill earned MVP honors.

Paris also opened with a straight-set victory, although their match against Saint-Nazaire was far from straightforward. The opening set developed into a prolonged battle before Paris finally prevailed 33-31. The hosts then maintained their composure to take the second 25-21 and the third 25-23, completing a 3-0 win against opponents who remained competitive throughout, while Toulouse began their season with a 3-1 home victory over Sète, giving new head coach Diógenes Zagonel a successful debut in charge. The Brazilian coach, promoted from his previous role as assistant, took over a team that had added eight new players to its roster during the summer. Toulouse made an immediate impact, winning the first two sets 25-19 and 25-20, with Redi Bakiri and Daniel Pinho Bala leading the attack and finishing with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Sète responded in the third, taking it 25-21, but the hosts quickly regained control. Czech middle blocker Petr Špulák contributed 15 points and made a significant impact from the service line as Toulouse dominated the fourth set 25-15. Tibo Rippert added nine points, while Toulouse also benefited from Sète’s errors to secure a convincing opening-night result.
Tours completed the home victories by beating Nice 3-1. The hosts started strongly, taking the first set 25-17, but Nice fought back to claim the second 26-24. Tours regained the advantage in another tight third set, winning 25-23, before finishing the job with a 25-19 victory in the fourth, led by Vasilii Molotkov, top scorer of the match with 21 points to his name through 48% in attack, 3 blocks and 2 aces, and Landry Kavogo Yaoussia, who added 16. Fausto Diaz and Tymofii Poluian each recorded 18 points for Nice.

The opening round offered an early reminder of the depth and unpredictability of the French championship. Royan made an immediate statement against the reigning champions, Cannes demonstrated the ability to prevail under pressure, and Tourcoing, Chaumont and Paris all secured convincing victories. Toulouse also began a new chapter with a positive performance in front of their home supporters, while Tours avoided being dragged into a deciding set.
With the first points of the season awarded, the focus now turns to Tuesday’s second round, which will give the teams little time to rest and an early opportunity to build momentum or respond to an opening defeat.

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🇫🇷| 2026/27 Alterna Volstar | Journée 1 | Round 1

👉🏼Saturday October 17, 2026
• 18.00 (Local time) | Toulouse – Sète 3-1 (25:19, 25:20,21:25, 25:15)
• 18.30 (Local time) | Poitiers – Cannes 2-3 (25:23, 25:27, 21:25, 25:22, 14:16)
• 19.00 (Local time) | Plessis-Robinson – Chaumont 0-3 (23:25, 19:25, 19:25)
• 19.00 (Local time) | Paris – St-Nazaire 3-0 (33:31, 25:21, 25:23)
• 19.00 (Local time) | Tourcoing – Narbonne 3-0 (25:15, 25:20, 25:23)
• 20.00 (Local time) | Tours – Nice 3-1 (25:17, 24:26, 25:23, 25:19)
• 21.00 (Local time) | Royan – Montpellier 3-2 (22:25, 22:25, 29:27, 25:22, 15:13)

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🏐| STANDINGS (updated on this day):
1. Spacer’s Toulouse 0
2. Tours Volley-Ball 0
3. Paris Volley 0
4. Tourcoing Volley-Ball 0
5. Chaumont Volley-Ball 52-Haute-Marne 0
6. AS Cannes Volley-Ball 0
7. Royan Atlantique Volleyball 0
8. Montpellier HSC Volleyball 0
9. Stade Poitevin Volley-Ball 0
10. Arago de Sète 0
11. Nice Volley-Ball 0
12. Narbonne Volley 0
13. Plessis Robinson Volley-Ball 0
14. Saint Nazaire Atlantique Volley-Ball 0

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🏐| NEXT GAMES | Journée 2 | Round 2

Tuesday October 20, 2026
• 19.00 (Local time) | Cannes – Sète
• 19.00 (Local time) | Narbonne – Royan
• 20.00 (Local time) | Chaumont – Paris
• 20.00 (Local time) | Montpellier – Plessis-Robinson
• 20.00 (Local time) | Nice – Poitiers
• 20.00 (Local time) | St-Nazaire – Toulouse
• 20.00 (Local time) | Tours – Tourcoing

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👀|QUICK LINKS
• AGENDA 📝🏐
• ALTERNA VOLSTAR 2026/27 | Calendar
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• Multimedia
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