Bulgarian internationals Venislav Antov and Vladimir Garkov recorded valuable five-set victories with their teams in the 12th round of the French championship. Tourcoing defeated Cannes at home, and Saint-Nazaire won important two points in their away game against Narbonne.
Tourcoing – Cannes 3:2 (25:23, 25:16, 23:25, 18:25, 15:8)
Top scorers in the match
Tourcoing
Luengas – 22 points
Venislav Antov – 20 points
Martinez Franqui – 13 points
Cannes
Ketrzynski – 23 points
Mohwinkel – 14 points
Ekman / Noleto – 10 points each
Venislav Antov (Tourcoing) statistics
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Points | 20 |
| Efficiency | +8 |
| Attack | 41% |
| Blocks | 2 |
| Aces | 1 |
Commentary:
Antov was among the key figures for Tourcoing's victory, especially in the first two sets and the tie-break. 41% attack efficiency with a high volume of finished balls and a positive efficiency of +8 demonstrate stability and good decision-making in decisive moments. The added block and ace solidify his overall influence on the match.
Narbonne – Saint-Nazaire 2:3 (25:23, 30:32, 15:25, 25:20, 18:20)
Top scorers in the match
Narbonne
Czerwinski – 24 points
Toral – 17 points
Touré – 7 points
Saint-Nazaire
John – 28 points
Genes – 17 points
Vladimir Garkov – 14 points
Vladimir Garkov's Statistics (Saint-Nazaire)
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Points | 14 |
| Efficiency | -4 |
| Positive reception | 46% |
| Perfect reception | 27% |
| Attack | 39% |
| Blocks | 1 |
| Aces | 1 |
Garkov played a very important role in Saint-Nazaire's five-set success, especially in reception, where 46% positive and 27% perfect reception stabilized the visitors' game. Although with negative efficiency, the Bulgarian compensated with important points in decisive rallies, as well as with direct points from serve and block.
Standings after the 12th round in the French championship
before the last match of the round between Sète and Tours
| Rank | Team | Points | Matches | Wins | Losses | Геймове спечелени | Геймове загубени | Гейм коеф. | Точков коеф. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tourcoing | 29 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 33 | 14 | 2,36 | 1,089 |
| 2 | Montpellier | 28 | 12 | 10 | 2 | 33 | 15 | 2,20 | 1,057 |
| 3 | Tours | 26 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 29 | 13 | 2,23 | 1,102 |
| 4 | Plessis-Robinson | 21 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 26 | 21 | 1,24 | 1,049 |
| 5 | Poitiers | 20 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 27 | 23 | 1,17 | 1,041 |
| 6 | Sète | 19 | 11 | 7 | 4 | 23 | 19 | 1,21 | 1,013 |
| 7 | Nice | 17 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 25 | 26 | 0,96 | 1,034 |
| 8 | Toulouse | 14 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 27 | 0,78 | 0,969 |
| 9 | Paris | 14 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 0,74 | 0,956 |
| 10 | Narbonne | 13 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 19 | 29 | 0,66 | 0,929 |
| 11 | Cannes | 13 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 28 | 0,64 | 0,938 |
| 12 | Chaumont | 12 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 20 | 30 | 0,67 | 0,966 |
| 13 | Ajaccio | 12 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 28 | 0,61 | 0,953 |
| 14 | Saint-Nazaire | 11 | 12 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 30 | 0,63 | 0,941 |
Tourcoing takes sole lead after 12 rounds with an impressive balance of 11 wins from 12 matches and the best set ratio in the league. Montpellier and Tours form a strong chasing pack, with the Tours team having one less match and a real chance to get closer to the top with a win against Sète. At the bottom, the situation remains extremely tight, and Saint-Nazaire – despite the victory in Narbonne – continues to pay the price for lost tie-breaks and a weak set balance.
Top scorers in the championship after 12 rounds
| Rank | Player | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dulski David | Nice | 271 |
| 2 | Mujanovic Nik | Tours | 246 |
| 3 | Venislav Antov | Tourcoing | 245 |
| 10 | Vladimir Garkov | Saint-Nazaire | 189 |
Antov solidifies his excellent form and remains in the top 3 scorers in the league, while Garkov consistently ranks in the top 10 – a clear sign of his consistency and importance to Saint-Nazaire's game.
