Two different realities for Bulgarian volleyball players in France were outlined by the latest round of the Marmara Spike Ligue. Venislav Antov's Tourcoing continues its confident march at the top of the standings with another decisive away victory, while Vlad Garkov's Saint-Nazaire remains at the bottom and increasingly feels the weight of a negative series in the championship.
Plessis-Robinson – Tourcoing 0:3 (25:22, 25:20, 25:20)
National player Venislav Antov and his Tourcoing achieved their 7th consecutive and 10th overall victory since the start of the season. The success came as an away win against Plessis-Robinson in a match from the 11th round, with the visitors taking control from the very first set and not allowing any surprises.
| Player | Team | Points | Ace | Block | Attack efficiency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venislav Antov | Tourcoing | 14 | 1 | 1 | 55% |
| Ignasio Luengas | Tourcoing | 14 | – | – | – |
| Rafael Pascual | Plessis-Robinson | 10 | – | – | – |
Antov and Luengas formed a stable and equally strong attacking duo for Tourcoing, which was key to their clean sweep victory in three sets. For the hosts, the only player with a double-digit score was Rafael Pascual – a telling fact about the limited offensive capabilities of Plessis-Robinson in this match.
Standings – the top after 11 rounds
| Team | Wins | Losses | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montpellier | 10 | 1 | 28 |
| Tourcoing | 10 | 1 | 27 |
Tourcoing continues to breathe down the neck of leader Montpellier, with the difference remaining just one point. The consistency in their results and the depth of their squad make the team one of the most serious contenders for the top spot.
In the 12th round, Tourcoing hosts Cannes.
Saint-Nazaire - Paris 0:3 (18:25 23:25 26:28)
At the other end of the spectrum is the situation in Vlad Grkov's Saint-Nazaire, which continues to accumulate losses even after the defeat in their away match against Paris.
Individual statistics
| Player | Team | Points | Ace | Block | Reception – positive | Reception - perfect | Attack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vladi Garkov | Saint-Nazaire | 8 | 0 | 1 | 58% | 28% | 54% |
| Vasily Molotkov | Paris | 28 | 5 | 1 | – | – | 55% |
Garkov showed correct attacking stats and stability in reception, but limited participation in scoring was not enough for Saint-Nazaire. At the same time, Vasily Molotkov completely dominated – 28 points and 5 aces, which logically earned him the MVP award.
Saint-Nazaire is in last place with 7 losses, while Chaumont, led by former Bulgaria coach Silvano Prandi, has just one point more. The battle for survival is just intensifying, and every subsequent match will be crucial for these teams.
