Just a day after avoiding the threat of bankruptcy, Paris Volley, led by former Bulgaria coach Silvano Prandi, started the new season in the French championship with a victory. The capital team defeated Saint-Nazaire 3:0 (33:31, 25:21, 25:23) in a first-round match played in the "Pierre Charpy" hall.
The most effective player for the winners was the young Serbian outside hitter Andrei Jokanovic, who finished with 20 points, including an impressive 7 aces. The volleyball player, born in 2007, also demonstrated exceptional efficiency in attack - 13 successful attacks out of 14 attempts (93%).
Captain Joachim Panou also made a significant contribution to the success, adding 14 points, 12 of which were in attack and 2 directly from serve.
The first set offered the greatest intrigue. The two teams fought an even battle before the hosts snatched the set 33:31 after 36 minutes of play.
In the second, Paris Volley managed to impose its rhythm and won 25:21, but in the third, they again had to overcome serious resistance. Saint-Nazaire led 21:18 before Prandi's volleyball players made a comeback and finished the match 25:23.
The main weapon of the hosts turned out to be the serve. They scored 11 aces against only 3 for the opponent, with more than half of them coming from Jokanovic.
For Saint-Nazaire, the most effective player was the Cuban Yusniel Marti with 13 points, and Ethan Jeanlys added 8.
Silvano Prandi, who is 78 years old, took over Paris Volley in the summer. The experienced Italian specialist, who coached the Bulgarian national team in two different periods, began his new challenge in French club volleyball with a victory without losing a set. Despite the successful start, the future of Paris Volley is not yet definitively guaranteed. According to the French publication Le Parisien, the club must complete the procedure for transferring ownership to new shareholders by October 30.
Thus, Silvano Prandi won his first battle on the court, but for Paris Volley, the far more important task remains to ensure its financial stability.