Spinal/Golbey – Reims 3-0 It was not common for the Spinalo-Golbey players to play on a Saturday night. However, this schedule did not disrupt them, and they managed to put pressure on the shoulders of Strasbourg and Harnes before the Easter matches (against Saint-Michel for the Alsatians, against Besançon for the Northerners) which was granted.
Spinal/Golbey easily escaped the trap set by the valiant but limited Rheims players at Viviani this Saturday. Accustomed to strong starts, EGVB dominated the early rallies (9-3). The Vosges team, led by an excellent Robin Louis throughout, both in blocking and attacking, extended their lead to comfortably turn the tide (20-12 and then 25-18).
“Robin has had more playing time since Matias left (Miranda, who left this winter). Maxence (Cornen) is also reaching a high level as libero, which is really great,” said a satisfied François Mérel about the performance of his players, especially in the second set. The Spinalo-Golbey team’s dominance continued in the second set, refusing to let up.
A one-sided second set In volleyball, the difference in level between two teams can be stark on the court. When one team executes while the other struggles, the gap can quickly widen. This was evident in the second set. The unfortunate Rheims players, rattled by attacks, blocks, and clever plays, couldn’t keep up. Quickly taking the lead (6-1), EGVB took some time to slow down (7-5) before accelerating again to leave their opponent trailing (15-5). The match ended with EGVB sealing the win on the first of fourteen match points in their favor (25-10).
“The score of 25-10 in N2 doesn’t happen often. I’m going to enjoy this,” said the Vosges coach, impressed by his team’s performance. He added, “We’re playing very well right now, and I see the results of our training paying off, with everyone following the instructions. I found that our level of play in the first two sets was very interesting, even beyond my expectations.”
The third set was equally competitive, with the Vosges team struggling a bit to close out the match, eventually winning on the sixth match point (25-21). EGVB put pressure on their opponents in Alsace and the North, waiting for Sunday… Happy Easter!
Sets: 25-18, 25-10, 25-21. Spinal/Golbey: Cornen (libero), Jacquemin, Gousson, Louis, Mariz Fernandes, Florent, Noël, Didier, Mabiala, Conver. Reims: Lombart, Terrière, Blanc, Bertili, Grammont, Bruneau, Sasse, Stephan, Cloquier, Philippe, Ronné (libero), Ruhlmann (libero)
