France - Ligue Nationale de Volley 2018-2019

    Quote from StefanS

    And Mulhouse defeated long time rivals Cannes in three sets. They are leading now them by six points already, with one win more. Clearly behind is Volero Le Cannet, which is followed closely by Nantes. If they keep their order and the CEV leagues ranking doesn't change in this regard, Mulhouse and Cannes would qualify for pool stage of CL now and Volero Le Cannet for the qualificiation rounds of CL - but Nantes is a threat for Volero.

    Cannes was playing without 3 main players and had to play with second opposite as receiver.

    Mulhouse Is now almost pretty sure to finish regular season on first position. RC Cannes will have to defend second place with 3 players injured.

    In play-off Le Cannet can be big threat to any team.

    An interview of the captain of Mulhouse Athina Papafotiou


    About the current season: We are in the first place. From the beginning of the season we wanted to be in the first places and if it is possible to win the cup and the league.


    About the differences between volleyball in Greece and France/Germany: In France and Germany they treat you like an employee and i feel more safe. Also in these countries they understand our value even if we have bad results.


    About the level: The level is better in France and Germany than Greece but the reason is that they are more organised and not the quality of players. In France all the contacts are legally protected. In Ilioupoli (greek team) the owners decided that they will not give money to the players in the 2nd round and that was tragic.


    About the Greek NT: I would like to play in the NT and to get a call is one of my goals.

    Surprise in the semis of national cup final four: league leader Mulhouse lost in four sets (won first, than lost the following three all 23:25) against Nantes (fourth in the championship) and missed so the first goal of the season. The other team is St.Raphael (only seventh in championship), they won against (kind of host) Paris St. Cloud. So none of the top three will earn the first national trophy (Cannes and Volero were early out).

    Mulhouse lost yesterday in Nantes in tie-break, but their advantage also against Cannes is too big, that it would be a real threat to lose the lead of the league round.

    Surprise, surprise: both best teams of league round (Mulhouse and Cannes) lost on the road the begin of the quarters playing against underdogs in three sets and have to do much better at home now in the return match. Only Volero Le Cannet performed as expected and won clearly the first match; even Nantes lost in Béziers (but this was 5./4. match of course).

    Sensation: league round winner Mulhouse lost second match against no-name team Marcq Baroeul after 0:2 sets and leveling in tie-break 9:15 and became so the most early top team failing of all better leagues this season. Cannes on the other hand could level the series against St.Raphael (and Nantes against Béziers too), while Volero Le Cannet already booked the semis giving away just one set against Pays d'Aix Venelles.

    Quote from StefanS

    She played some years ago (until 2014) for Schwerin, but didn't make such a big impact there. She is main attacker of Cameroon NT anyway.

    Well she was just 20-21 or even younger back then, seems she improved a lot with the right recourses as she stayed in Europe. I'm happy for Cameroon NT, I hope more African teams can be tough in the future.

    And now Nantes from the Atlantic coast is the first Paris finals participant, grabbing a CL ticket this way too. They downed in two, straight matches underdogs from nowhere, despite those did the biggest league upset in the quarters against Mulhouse, but as Mulhouse, the nobody team is eligible to participate in Challenge Cup.

    Cannes leveled second semi series with Volero Le Cannet in the Cote d'Azur derby in four sets, so the third match will decide about the second Paris final participant and CL ticket winner.

    Very good perfomances from the french players,


    Bauer 18p. (15/21), Cazaute 16p. against Volero

    Gicquel 15p. (11/21at.) against Baroeul