Volleyball: the youth of Arago de Sète intend to adorn themselves with gold this season

In eight rounds and sixteen matches, Charly Rispal's protégés have conceded only one defeat.

The U18s will compete, from May 10 to 12, in the final stages of the Coupe de France.

The Marmara SpikeLigue has left the Barrou hall, but the young players of Arago have perfectly taken up the torch of the professional team and are allowing the club to experience very good deadlines in May.

Course of champions

The U18s thus had a brilliant run in the Coupe de France (fifteen victories for one defeat in eight rounds, only four sets conceded to their opponents). Among the twelve best teams in France, they will compete in the final stages from May 10 to 12 in Lyon, to try to win a French champion title.

« These final phases are the culmination of several years of work for this squad which has been building since a very young age (Editor's note: certain players like Caselli, Molina, Vatuone, Martzluff and Bonniou have started at the volleyball school) and some players of which have also been French U15 champions in 2022 », welcomes the’ rsquo;Sète coach Charly Rispal.

Revenchards

Charly Rispal, the Sète coach.

After two seasons where they saw the adventure stop at the gates of the final stages, it is time for these young players, whose collective has perhaps been forged in these disappointments, to take a step forward. « It’s obviously a nice revenge on previous years, I remember Enzo Lopez who, in the first round, said to me: “this year, I promise that we will take you to the final stages. We feel that they have reached a milestone this season, they know where they want to go and they exude much more serenity, even in difficult matches like against Marignane and Toulouse for example. The Coupe de France is a long competition, physically and mentally demanding, but participating in the final stages is a unique experience in the life of a young volleyball player. »

Multiple journeys, but a common goal

Some of these players play in the Pre-National, others with the Training Center, the Espoir pole or the France pole. But for the Coupe de France U18, it is one with a solid collective spirit that they enter the field.« This group is above all a group of friends despite the fact that they play in different squads », continues the Sète coach. « They want to go as far as possible together. It’s a team of warriors, who enjoy playing together, and it shows on the pitch and in the results. So, obviously, we want to go to the end! »

Global work on young people that is bearing fruit

L’Arago de Sète can therefore be proud of his succession. In May, the young people from the Training Center will also be in the spotlight and will defend their title of French champions during the Élite Avenir final phases.

So many signals that say a lot about the great vigor of Sète's youth.« This demonstrates, in my opinion, the dynamism of our amateur sector », continues Charly Rispal. « This season, Arago has more than 700 members. And this team is a bit of a reflection of all the work done by educators, from toddlers to U18, and both boys and girls… hellip; Not all volleyball clubs in France defend this diversity and give as much importance to the training of young people. And then, we have also been working in schools with the Agora des Sports for three years now. All this success is somewhat the result of a set of actions…hellip; »

The squad: Matis Bevilacqua (1), Enzo Lopez (cap. 3), Guilhaume Doumenjou (4), Gabriel Molina (5), Nadir Djouadj (6), Timéo Mistoco (8), Jérémy Vatuone (9), Théo Martzluff (10), Talmay Tchouassi (13), Enio Rossi (14), Baptiste Bonniou (15), Mathis Caselli (16). I subscribe to read more