After a true volleyball marathon, including travel and a busy schedule (also involving Champions League commitments), Nikolay Kartev's Montpellier left Chaumont with a 2:3 (25:21, 22:25, 25:22, 21:25, 13:15) victory and 2 points, after the visitors showed more character and better serving in the decisive moments.
Montpellier had to give their maximum, as the team's schedule was extremely tough returning from Poland on Thursday afternoon, and on Friday morning a new bus trip to Chaumont. Despite the fatigue and short recovery time, the visitors did not give in and snatched a valuable away victory.
Nikolay Kartev with excellent efficiency
Bulgarian international Nikolay Kartev started as a regular and played the first three sets, finishing with:
8 points
+6 efficiency
80% attack success rate
His stable performance helped Montpellier stay in the match during a period when the hosts were pressing hard with blocking and aggressive play at the net.
Top Scorers
For Montpellier, Simon Hirsch was the top scorer with 19 points
For Chaumont, Jakob Paster scored 22 points, but they only earned one point in the standings.
The serve decided the tie-break
Montpellier's advantage from the serve was most strongly felt in the fifth set the visitors recorded 4 aces, while Chaumont had 0.
In the final rallies, the hosts were close to turning the tide, but Montpellier kept their cool. At 11:12 for the visitors, Thomas played an important role, helping Kartev's teammates snatch the victory in the tie-break.
Standings: Chaumont is 12th, Montpellier is third
Chaumont remains 12th, and the lost point sent Montpellier to 3rd position, behind Tourcoing.
Team Statistics
| Category | Chaumont | Montpellier |
|---|---|---|
| Blocks | 14 | 7 |
| Attack success rate | 59% | 53% |
| Attack points | 57 | 62 |
| Positive reception | - | 41% |
| Excellent reception | - | 51% |
| Points from opponent errors | 29 | 31 |
| Total points | 106 | 108 |
Chaumont had a significant advantage in blocks (14:7) and an even better attack percentage (59% versus 53%), but Montpellier compensated with more successful attacks (62 points) and, most importantly, crucial service pressure in the tie-break. The difference in total points was minimal (106:108), but at the most crucial moment, the visitors played the fifth set more maturely and left with the victory.
