At home against Avignon, another disappointment for the MVL
Men’s B League. Regular season
Mende volley lozère1
Avignon3
Mende VL: Lorente (4), Dijoud (11), Salles (12), Cheung (lib.), Moreno (17), Paixao (8), Wilson (15) then Njok, Kerboua (cap.) (1), Amorim. Not returned: Soumaré, Ben Rhouma, Socrier.
Avignon: Frédéric (8), Ofoha (4), Talia (26), Fernandez (9), Pineau (lib.), Diverchy (4), Lapierre (4) then Fleury (11), El Maknasy, Martinez (cap.).
Tense and irregular, the Lozériens had to bow to a great team from Avignon. By losing 3 sets to 1, her counter remains stuck at 0 points but the team is young, she is learning and the best days are yet to come. The first set badly for the locals 0-3 but quickly the MVL came back 5-5. An intense battle will rage the whole set punctuated by many ties but also many service faults. It is Avignon who will have the first set point by Lapierre but Robinho responds with a good attack at post 4 (24-24). An impressive rally but will be won by the Vauclusiens who offer themselves a second set point Moreno by a beautiful feint gives hope to the Mendois. Lucas by blocking fils vis-à-vis Fernandez and a new block from Moreno on Frédéric and the MVL hardly won this first set 27-25.
The Avignonnais dominate the second set with central performances from Ofoha and Fernandez, a Libero Pineau who does the job and the ex-Mendois Fleury who will have a good time in the service. Opposite, the MVL stammers his volley, Tchouassi changes passer, brings Kerboua on Wilson but despite a start at the end of the set, there will be no 25-19 photo for the AVB.
Avignon dominates the end of the match
A third set balanced up to 16 before the consistency of the Vauclusiens and a super Talia at the forefront gives them a decisive advantage 25-21.
The Mendois continue to chase the score at the start of the fourth set 8-5 then 11-8. Lucas, Moreno, Wilson and Dijoud will have a burst of pride and the MVL equalizes at 15-15. Another superb rally is won by Avignon 16-15. The MVL is hit and fouls leads 19-16. Lorente and a first hand, a pipe from Wilson and a block from Lucas and a whole room believes in it 20-20.
Some slight satisfactions
But definitely it is not the evening of the Lozériens unlike Talia, MVP of the meeting, which allows the AVB to win 25-21 and leave with 3 points.
The locals played their worst game of the start of the season, they are too fickle to win. Individually, the satisfaction goes to Moreno who continues his progression, to Lucas in the center and to the libero Cheung who did what they had to do.
José Amet, Avignon coach, declared at the end of the meeting: “Without doing anything in particular but by keeping a constant level of play, we managed to beat this Mende team who played up and down.“.