French NT

  • I will say "WOOOOHOOOO !"


    France will be factor on this ECH

  • Team composition for ECH preparation:


    Setters :
    Pierre Pujol, 26 ans - 165 sélections (Trevise / Ita) - Benjamin Toniutti, 21 ans - 40 sél (Sète)
    Liberos :
    Jenia Grebennikov, 20 ans - 13 sél (Rennes) - Jean-François Exiga, 29 ans - 91 sél (Monza / Ita)
    Middle Blockers :
    Gérald Hardy-Dessources, 28 ans - 78 sél (Cannes) - Romain Vadeleux, 28 ans - 107 sél (Macerata / Ita)
    José Trèfle, 31 ans - 0 sél (Rennes) - Franck Lafitte, 22 ans - 4 sél (Montpellier)
    Outside Hitters : Julien Lyneel, 21 ans - 14 sél (Montpellier) - Samuele Tuia, 24 ans - 47 sél (Olsztyn / Pol) - Nicolas Maréchal, 24 ans - 63 sél (Poitiers) - Guillaume Samica, 29 ans - 177 sél (Odintsovo/ Rus) capitaine - Earvin Ngapeth, 20 ans - 21 sél (Cuneo, Ita) - Kevin Tillie, 21 ans - 0 sél (Cannes)
    Opposites : Antonin Rouzier, 24 ans - 102 sél (Poitiers) - Marien Moreau, 27 ans - 51 sél (Cannes)


    Main surprise on the list is Kevin Tillie. The son of Cannes's headcoach (and more than 400 games with french NT) Laurent Tillie, is currently a student in North America. After 2 seasons in Canada with Thompson Rivers, he's heading to California and will play next season in NCAA with UC Irvine.

  • Sol lack consistency, and Trèfle can bring more energy to the team.
    I'm expecting more from Lafitte anyway...

  • Nice to see new faces like Lafitte, Tillie, Grebennikov and Lyneel. French NT is so young now. And finally you have Ngapeth back. I'm glad ^^
    Lafitte is now the tallest middle-blocker in team, right? I'm also expecting a lot from him.
    And Grebennikov surprised me positively on WL. I hope he will keep it up.
    I wonder what is happening with Bazin...
    I miss the most Antiga in NT. He was everything for me in this team.


    PS. Outdated information about clubs in which players play. Some of them will play in Poland :D

  • Nice to see new faces like Lafitte, Tillie, Grebennikov and Lyneel. French NT is so young now. And finally you have Ngapeth back. I'm glad ^^
    Lafitte is now the tallest middle-blocker in team, right? I'm also expecting a lot from him.
    And Grebennikov surprised me positively on WL. I hope he will keep it up.
    I wonder what is happening with Bazin...
    I miss the most Antiga in NT. He was everything for me in this team.


    PS. Outdated information about clubs in which players play. Some of them will play in Poland :D


    Antiga isnt calibre for NT anymore...

  • Interview with Antonin Rouzier as an FIVB hero has been put on fivbheroes.com now. Finally I can hear how this guy talks. :)



    It's always delighted to hear French guys speaking English. I had one French professor and I like his accent in which every "h" is silent (So is Antonin's!).


    It seems all the awesome players were born in a volleyball family. Antonin's father is also a volleyball player. I think Antonin doesn't catch the question about specialty because he keeps saying his specialty is opposite, but good to know he likes his position because he rocks as an opposite.
    The best day in his career is the semifinal of ECh2009 defeating Russia... Russia seem to realize many people's best day so far :)


  • I like the way he says "I like" when he begins a sentence and the way he pronounces "Russia" :D
    Actually, I like french guys speaking english. Once I saw an interview with Brian Joubert, a figure skater, who kept repeating "important" in almost every sentence and his "important" sounded like "impotent" and I couldn't stop laughing :lol:


    Btw, I hope Antonin will make his hair grow 'cause I like him in longer hair :P