The volleyball derby with a Bulgarian accent in the French Marmara SpikeLigue concluded with success for Tourcoing, where Bulgarian national player Venislav Antov plays. His team prevailed as a guest over Saint-Nazaire, featuring another Bulgarian national player - Vladimir Garkov with3:1 (25:20, 23:25, 25:17, 25:19)in a dynamic and eventful match. Thus, the guests climbed to third position in the standings with 14 points after their fifth victory since the start of the championship.
Antov was the leading figure in the match, finishing with18 pointsand the highest scoring performance among all players on the court. Garkov responded strongly for the hosts and finished with17 points, becoming the top scorer for Saint-Nazaire.
Individual Statistics – Veni Antov (Tourcoing)
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Points | 18 |
| Attacks | 11 successful |
| Attack Efficiency | 61% |
| Aces | 2 |
| Blocks | 2 |
Antov demonstrated impressive attack efficiency – 61% is a level that guarantees dominance in most matches. His two aces and two blocks complement his overall influence on the game, which logically positioned him as the top scorer in the match.
Individual Statistics – Vladimir Garkov (Saint-Nazaire)
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Points | 17 |
| Attacks | 4 successful |
| Attack Percentage | 33% |
| Aces | 2 |
| Blocks | 1 |
| Positive Reception | 52% |
| Perfect Reception | 33% |
Garkov distinguished himself with an all-around game – stable reception stats, two aces, and key defensive saves. The lower attack percentage reflects his team's more challenging play, but he nevertheless remained the leading scorer for Saint-Nazaire.
Atmosphere and Key Moments
Tourcoing started more organized and took control early in the first set. However, Saint-Nazaire showed character, equalized the score after a tense second set and kept the suspense alive. In the next two sets, Tourcoing dictated the pace, and a more stable reception line and higher attack efficiency tipped the scales. Antov and Garkov were key players at the end of the first set, when Antov led his team twice at 15:20, 16:23, while Garkov scored two points to make it 18:23 and 19:24. The first set ended with a service error from Garkov. He again had good plays at the end of the second set, twice putting his team ahead at 21:20 and 22:21, and after an out-of-bounds attack by the visitors, Saint-Nazaire equalized the score. Veni Antov scored an ace for 23:19 in favor of the visitors in the last set, and match point came after the block caught Vladislav Garkov's attack, giving Tourcoing the victory.
The MVP award went toIgnacio Luengas (Tourcoing Lille Métropole)– 17 points, a recognition of his stability and contribution to the success.
