Montpellier found the right answer after their previous round's uncertainties, and Bulgarian international Nikolay K'rtev played a key role in his team's success. In his second start for the French club, the middle blocker displayed stability and confidence, which helped MHSC return to winning ways in the Marmara SpikeLigue.
After their 1-3 loss (25:17, 25:21, 18:25, 25:27) to Tours in the direct top-of-the-table clash in Round 15 at "Grenon" hall, Loïc Le Marrec's team faced a serious test. In Round 16, Montpellier hosted the strong team of Le Plessis-Robinson, who arrived fourth in the standings and on a four-game winning streak.
Additional context for the match was the first meeting between the two teams this season, which Plessis-Robinson won 3-2, even without their main scorer Eliezer Dutra, who was now available. Nevertheless, the atmosphere this time was entirely different – Montpellier hosted their opponents at "Chaban-Delmas" hall, where the team is undefeated this current campaign.
In front of 672 spectators, the hosts played one of their most consistent matches and outplayed Le Plessis-Robinson 3-0 (25:23, 27:25, 25:21). The victory was built upon good serving, an organized block, and patience in the key moments of each set.
Nikolay K'rtev started the match and contributed 9 points, an impressive 5 of which came from blocks, along with 50% attacking efficiency. The Bulgarian made a significant contribution in the middle of the net and helped Montpellier control the game in all sets.
The top scorers for the winners were Vincent Matias and Ezequiel Palacios with 12 points each, both of whom were key attacking options. For the visitors from Le Plessis-Robinson, Raphaël Pascal, a former Montpellier player, and Nathan Canavas finished with 9 points each, but their efforts were not enough to stop MHSC's home winning streak.
With this success, Montpellier solidified its position in the upper part of the standings and showed that it remains a contender in the battle for the top spots, while Nikolay K'rtev's performance is a clear sign that the Bulgarian is increasingly confidently finding his place in the French elite.
