Defeat of Mende Volley Lozère in its first play-off match

As during the regular season match at Piencourt, Robinho was one of the best Mendois. – Archive Ugo Breysse Photography

This Friday, March 15, at the Palais des Victoires, AS Cannes beat MVL 3 sets to 1 (25-21; 23-25; 25-19; 25-18). See you this Sunday, March 17, at 5 p.m., for the second round.

These are a big reunion in the play-off between AS Cannes, big favorite for accession to League A, and Mende, the little Thumb of the division, on paper in in any case.

After being eliminated by the Lozériens last season in the semi-final, the 2021-2022 French champion has put all the resources into recruiting to avoid suffering another mishap. For these play-offs, two medical jokers played for the first time at the Palais des Victoires: the French international and receiver-attacker Lucas Basic and the Italian sharp Lorenzo Sala.

The presence of these two players may have intimidated the Mendois a little, on this Friday, March 15, at 7 p.m. Captain Robinho's teammates are immediately subjected to the services of Sala (5-1). They quickly recover and tie the game, 10-10 then 20-20. In the money-time, it's all the height in attack, as well as the powerful and placed services of Basic that make the difference, 25-21.

The second set starts like the first, 4-1 for Cannes. Here again, the MVL quickly picks up with an angry Salles in the center, 6-6. The Lozériens are all playing at 100%, the spectacle is magnificent, as both teams slow down balls in the block. The brilliant liberos Mouiel and Cheung stand out. The Mendois are in the lead with two small points in advance up to 17, but Weir gives his team the advantage 20-19. The end of the set is epic, at 23-23. Salles adjusts an ace before Robinho blocks Noleto, 25-23 for MVL. The people of Cannes are starting to tremble.

The Lozériens gave so much that there was a legitimate relaxation at the start of the third set. The Cannes take flight, 13-6. Jason Haldane brings in Martins, Leray and Socrier. The latter will shine with his floating services bringing the MVL back to 21-17. However, this will be insufficient. Noleto and Biglino conclude at 25-19.

"We could have won"

The Mendois regained confidence and started the fourth set well, 4-1. Cannes equalizes at 5-5. A Homeric fight identical to that of the second set begins. Néraudau and Jacobsen are using pipes more and more with Robinho and Basic. Larrieu raises his level at the point, 15-15. On the Mendois side, we are starting to consider a hypothetical tie-break. That's without counting on the brilliant Basic serving and Noleto attacking, who completely extinguished the visitors, 20-16 then 25-18.

The MVL defended itself well against such an armada. He will try to do as well, or even better, this Sunday March 17, at 5 p.m., for match 2, while waiting for the third round, Thursday March 21, at 8 p.m., at Piencourt to try the impossible.

Ali Kerboua, the MVL assistant coach, did not hide his disappointment after the match: "I will go so far as to say that it&rsquo ;is a match we could have won. We were especially too timid in our attacks in the first set where we should have made them doubt straight away."

Roberto Serniotti, the Cannes coach, remains wary: "It’was a close match. We feared this Mende team, who beat us at home in the regular season (3 sets to 2, December 9, 2023). It has excellent players. Fortunately, Basic had excellent ends to the sets while Sala has not yet gotten along well with his passer. We will be suspicious until the end."

The match sheet

AS Cannes : Jacobsen (2), Sala (9), Basic (13), Biglino (11), Rodrigues-Noleto (19) ), Weir (13), Mouiel (lib) then Cohen, Helfer, Cardona, Demiryurek. Not returned: Foncarnier, Paumelle, Kemp. Coach: Roberto Serniotti

Mende Volley Lozère: Néraudau (2 points), Larrieu (14), Robinho (12), Silva (8), Faustino (6 ), Salles (11), Cheung (lib.) then Martins, Leray (3) and Socrier (2). Coach: Jason Haldane

Referees: M.M. Sawrei and Vermande

Technical sheet

Service errors: Cannes, 11; MVL, 11.
Aces : Cannes, 2; MVL, 3.
Positive receptions: Cannes, 58%; MVL, 50%.
Successful attacks: Cannes, 54%; MVL, 49%.
Successful blocks: Cannes, 15; MVL, 6.

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