Volleyball: a big blow for Arago de Sète, which must quickly stop the bleeding

Ce samedi à Nice (19 h), Luc Marquet va devoir pousser ses troupes à se faire violence. MIDI LIBRE – Jérôme Belluire

Il va falloir se relever de l’élimination en Coupe de France, avec la même configuration ce samedi 27 janvier à Nice (19 h).

The defeat against Narbonne in the championship was very painful. The one conceded three days later in the Coupe de France (3-1), on the Cambrai floor, drove the point home a little further.

Without forms

This is a first, Arago laid down their arms against a team playing in League B. Without even managing to get in shape. The only set won was a hard fight (24-26 in the third). For the rest, there was no photo, notably the painful second set lost with the evocative score of 25-16…

But it’s not this number that hurts the most. At the forefront of the attack, Cheik Diop managed to make people forget the absence of Célestin Cardin with 27 points on the clock. As for the others, the start-up never took place. The second scorer of the team is Ardo Kreek with… six points. If they have their part, the absences of Garcia and Zanotti are far from being sufficient to explain such a debacle. Especially against a northern team which also had some absentees, including its point guard.

Difficult to be optimistic

L’Arago de Sète seems today at a crossroads. A line has undoubtedly been drawn on the playoffs in the championship. It remains to be seen whether the decline will continue or whether the revolt will rumble, just to save the image, the honor and all the furniture that goes with it.

It's difficult to be optimistic when we know that we will still have to go to Chaumont, Tourcoing, Nantes or Paris, and that we will also have to receive Saint-Nazaire and Tours. But immediately, two essential matches are coming up. Before hosting Poitiers on February 3, the Sétois will travel to Nice this Saturday (7 p.m.). Azuréens who occupy the penultimate place in the ranking with three small victories on the clock.

As it stands, it seems impossible to single out a favorite. Especially since Arago will play in the same configuration as during the last two meetings, Lisandro Zanotti not being there.

It is high time to do violence to ourselves. Especially since at the same time, Saint-Jean-d’Illac will host Narbonne. According to the evening's results, we should not start to worry about a race to the bottom.

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