Champion Tours ended the campaign of last year's trophy holder Tourcoing already in the 1/8-finals of the French Cup tournament. In front of their home crowd, the hosts won decisively 3:0 (25:20, 25:22, 25:20), thus putting an end to the hopes of Venislav Antov's team to defend their title.
Antov – top scorer for Tourcoing, but without a chance against the powerful champion.
Bulgarian international Venislav Antov once again showed consistency. He finished the match as the top scorer for his team with 10 points, along with Martinez, and was one of the few who maintained their level against Tours' strong block and stable reception.
Individual statistics – Tourcoing.
| Player | Points | Attack | Block | Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venislav Antov | 10 | 37% efficiency | 0 | - |
| Jan Martinez Franchi | 10 | 39% efficiency | 1 | 65% positive (+3) |
The extended statistics reflect Tourcoing's problems in attack – 42% for Antov and company versus 48% for the hosts. Although Antov and Martinez finished with double-digit scores, there was a lack of support from the others, and the team failed to create enough pressure from service (only one ace). On this element, errors were also more numerous for Tourcoing – a total of 14 against 9 for the hosts.
Tours – more aggressive, more effective, and more confident.
The hosts from Tours demonstrated squad depth and high quality in all elements. Cameroonian Landry Kevogo Yaoussa led the team with 14 points, and opposite hitter Nick Muyanovich added another 10.
Individual statistics – Tours.
| Player | Points | Attack | Block | Ace | Reception |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Landry Kavogo Yaoussa | 14 | 41% efficiency | 2 | 1 | 53% positive (+8) |
| Nick Mujanovic | 10 | 38% efficiency | 1 | 0 | - |
Tour excellently utilized its advantages – stable reception and evenly distributed attack. Yaoussa made the difference with strong reception and key points, while Mujanovic maintained constant pressure from the back row.
What's next?
Despite being eliminated from the Cup, the schedule gives no time for a break. On November 27, Tourcoing visits Chaumont, led by Silvano Prandi, who qualified for the French Cup quarterfinals after an away victory over AJACCIO. . On Tuesday, December 2, Antov and company host Tours VB in the championship – the third clash between the two teams within a few days. A match that promises a vengeful charge, but will also be a serious test of the resilience and adaptation of Antov's team after the painful elimination.
