Volleyball: no double for Arago, who nevertheless showed a beautiful face

La jeunesse sétoise a été mise à rude épreuve, mais elle apprend.

Le Centre de formation sétois, qui défendait son titre national, est revenu des phases finales du championnat de France Élite Avenir avec la septième place.

The team from the Arago de Sète training center, led by Frédéric Gibert, competed in Rennes during the Pentecost weekend in the final phases of the French Élite Avenir championship, competition which brings together the 19 French training centers.

A derby in my pocket

After a victory and a defeat in the group stage, the young players from Arago faced the Montpellier training center in a qualifying play-off for the quarter-finals. Tibo Ripert's teammates won this Hérault derby in fine style, ending with a score of 3-0.

In the quarter-finals, the Sétois were opposed to the National Volleyball Center (the French pole), a team which has played in the professional League B all this season.

The France pole is too strong

After two very high-intensity first rounds, the Maritimes finally lost 3-1 to a team that did not lack solutions. «â€…After this brilliant qualification against Montpellier, we had to face the France pole which has a squad depth that other teams do not have, confirms coach Frédéric Gibert. «â€…Not much was missing to go further ».

By winning their last ranking match in the tie-break against Cambrai (3-2), the players from the Singular Island finally finished in seventh place in the competition.

The face shown by his men allowed Frédéric Gibert to return from Brittany with very positive feelings. «â€…I had a great time with this team, there are great things to come. We will continue to train young people for the high level of Arago and we will come back with a vengeance next year ».

It remains to be seen, now, which "nuggets" will strengthen the Sète training center next season…