The context: rise in power
This match coincided with the return to the group of four of the double Olympic champions, Earvin NgaPeth, Benjamin Toniutti, Jenia Grebennikov and Nicolas Le Goff. Ngapeth injured And Toniutti spared because sick, only the last two were on the ground.
Jenia Grebennikov played two sets. “It’s okay, but I’m still far from my best level,” said the player, returned with the Blues on July 1.
Marie Bachiri/SO
The match
Premier set. Six de départ. Faure, Brizard, Chinenyeze, Clévenot, Grebennikov, Louati.
The Blues are a little easy at the start, make the accordion between two points ahead, maximum, and equality. Louati or Clévenot in finesse, Faure in large potatoes water on brizard passing regals. But the block is irregular, like the service (unlike that of the Cubans).
But everything takes place when it counts: at 19-19 the Blues stand out thanks to huge Faure and the Goff especially, and Clévenot which plays with the opposing block then concludes from an SMASH to 25-22.
Second set. Andrea Giani continues to rely on her starting six by inserting Les Huetz, very in sight, Henno, Patry. The Blues do not wait to take three points of margin 7-4 and 18-14, after a few phases where Cuba recolle the scoring without ever returning. Louati and his teammates tighten the bolts as soon as necessary, and above all feast on themselves.
They smile a lot of their pretty blows, Louati is on fire. Their game is a best of rhythmic, it looks like the soundtrack of game interruptions: extracts of 20 seconds of songs from the 1960s to the present day that everyone resumes. In short, 22-17, Louati still smiles, it bombes, the reception and the opposing counter are holes from everywhere, the opposing game is much less disjointed than the potpourri of the sound system (25-19).
Jean Patry under the eye of Amir Tizi-Oualou and Moussé Gueye.
Marie Bachiri/SO
The nerves of the young guard
Third set. This time, big rolling in the workforce with the young Henno, the Tizi-Oalou passer, the Libero Ramon, Pothron, Huetz (already well used before) Gueye and the experienced pointed Jean Patry together on the ground. The Cuban coach also runs and the two teams stand (19-19). Two services outside of Huetz and Tizi-Oalou put the Blues behind 22-23, a fine example of many direct faults.
The match is briefly interrupted to project live on the giant screens a marriage proposal (visibly accepted) filmed in the public. The Blues Applause, Giani smiles, is a friendly, but a new big fault (Smash dismissed outside of Pothon) costs the set (23-25).
Fourth set. Giani renewed in the fourth the same squad as in the third, a good way to prove themselves for the youngest. In a corner of the field, Faure, Chinenyez and Louati make the Zouaves without forgetting to encourage their partners.
And it works. Bad off, the Bi Bis leads (7-4, 12-8) by going upmarket. The passer Amir Tizi-Oualou stacks Aces, Henno, Gueye and Huetz conclude that the Smash is more fluid than in the third, and who finds fewer and fewer Cuban arms on their way. At 16-9 and then 18-11 with Henno who brought the opposing block out, it smells the end, the combinations are refined and the points parade (21-12, 24-13). And 25-14 on a service outside the Cubans, which made arms well before.
The group
Smoads: Antoine Brizard, Amir Tizi-Ouali
Liberos: Jénia Grebennikov, Benjamin Diez, Luca Ramon
Pointed: Jean Patry, Théo Faure
Central: Barthélémy Chinenyeze, Moussé Gueye, François Huetz, Nicolas Le Goff
Recep/attackers: Trévor Clevenot, Yacine Louati, Antoine Pothron, Mathis Henno, Timothée Carle
The calendar
Last qualifying phase for Final 8 of the League of Nation. France -Chine (July 16) France – Cuba (18), France – Iran (19), France – Poland (20).
The classification (after the first phases). France is 5th with five victories (Italy, Canada, Ukraine, Slovenia, Türkiye) and three defeats (Argentina, Germany, Japan)
July 30 to August 3: VNL Final 8 in Ningbo (CHN) – Subject to qualification
August 20: France preparation match – Serbia in Cannes
