In the magnificent atmosphere of the Grenon room, the Tour Volleyball players managed the feat of winning against Modena on Wednesday January 12 in the first leg of the round of 16 of the CEV Cup, the second European competition. in terms of level. This is not a snatch victory. The Tourainees got it right and won the match 3 sets to 1 (22-25, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19).
– Chadi Yahya
However, nothing foreshadowed such a scenario. Before the match, Dominique, a 65-year-old fan, couldn’t believe it: “I’m not going to bet, but why not.” The TVB had not played for almost a month because of several cases of Covid-19 in the workforce. The latter has also been modified with the departure of two players (Kamil Baranek and Zouheir El Graoui) and the arrival of two others (Luciano Palonsky and Geraldo Graciano).
A team full of big names
In addition to this hectic preparation, Tours Volleyball had a lot to do in facing Modena. The Italian team is filled with big names in volleyball such as Yoandi Leal, Bruno Rezende (the son of the current coach of the France team), Abdel-Aziz Nimir and of course Earvin Ngapeth, who was making his return. in Touraine land.
– Chadi Yahya
Before the start of the match, the Olympic champion who started his professional career in Tours was also handed the keys to the city by Eric Thomas, the deputy in charge of sport at the town hall of Tours. This earned him acclaim from the TVB audience.
A lot of memories
Anatole, a 14 year old boy, had come especially for him. He is not disappointed. “Frankly, he played well, I’m really happy to see him, it’s just crazy, I have a lot of memories”, he said with a jersey of the France team flocked to the name of Ngapeth on the back. On the other hand, on the ground, the Frenchman from Modena could not do anything.
– Chadi Yahya
After a tight first set, but won by Modena by a score of 25 to 22, Tours Volley-Ball got back on track in the second round won 25-23. The third set was initially one-sided in favor of the Italian club. But led by the Bosnian Zeljko Coric, voted best player of the match, and by Kévin Tillie, the French Olympic champion, the TVB managed to come back and win 27 to 25.
Aware of the feat accomplished
Finally, in the fourth and final set, the Tourainees made short work of their opponents by widening the gap from the start. Present in the field, the new recruits have acclimated well.
– Chadi Yahya
Marcelo Fronckowiak’s players did not shake and in the end, TVB won 25-19 to conclude the game. “It’s a whole, there is motivation and very sincerely, it trains well”, proudly estimated the Brazilian coach after the meeting. Whether it was the staff, the players or the supporters, everyone was aware of the feat achieved at the end of the match.
A great reward
Romain came from Angers to witness the Touraine victory. The 30-year-old does not want to let the health situation spoil the party: “It’s cool, Tours is there. Then there’s the mask … Unfortunately, we can’t order drinks, it’s a bit lacking, but the atmosphere is there. It’s great.”
– Chadi Yahya
The Grenon room, which can hold up to 3,000 spectators, was also limited to a tonnage of 2,000 people. But it’s a great reward, believes Marcelo Fronckowiak: “Tours Volleyball’s loyal audience deserves a performance like this because it’s a place where there is a real volleyball culture.”
After such a result, it remains only to celebrate. “We’re going to have a drink, of course, we’re going to celebrate this victory”, says the coach. A party in sobriety and with the head already turned towards the next matches. On Saturday, the TVB, third in the league, will receive Chaumont, fourth. The Touraine volleyball players will then travel to Modena for the second leg of the round of 16 of the CEV Cup, with the hope of qualifying for the quarter-finals and reliving a European match in Grenon.