Saint-Nazaire lost to Montpellier 2:3 (25:22, 25:23, 22:25, 20:25, 10:15) in the final round of the French Marmara SpikeLigue, but despite the defeat, the team of Bulgarian outside hitter Vladimir Garkov achieved its goal and retained its place in the elite.
At the ".Coubertin" hall, in front of 1530 spectators, the hosts started strong and took the first two sets, but Montpellier showed class and turned the match around after more stable play in the second half and the tie-break.
Garkov played a solid game and finished with 14 points, a +4 efficiency rating, 1 block, 33% positive reception, and 52% attack efficiency.
For Saint-Nazaire, Genes was the top scorer with 20 points, John added 17, and Aponza contributed 10.
For the visitors from Montpellier, who were without Nikolay Kartev, Hirsch was the top scorer with 21 points, Palacios scored 17, and Le Goff added 14.
Despite the loss, the point earned proved to be completely sufficient for Saint-Nazaire to save itself. The team remained above the relegation zone, while Ajaccio lost their match and leaves the elite.
Montpellier finishes the regular season in second place, and Saint-Nazaire remains among the best in France after an extremely dramatic outcome.
The decisive round came after a complex administrative case involving Ajaccio, where three points deducted for financial irregularities were first reinstated, and then the penalty was re-imposed hours before the final matches. Thus, everything was decided on the court.
Ultimately, Saint-Nazaire withstood the pressure and, in a direct clash against one of the league leaders, snatched the point that guaranteed survival.
photo: lnv.fr
