The key is a jackpot. The dream of the Mariannes 92 is taking shape before their eyes. They are only one victory away from becoming champions of France, from making history. Three days after its surprise success in the first leg (3-0), at the Palais des Sports Marcel-Cerdan, the Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud team competes, Friday (8 p.m.), in the return final of the Women’s League A on the Neptunes de Nantes field.
Tuesday, in a boiling sports hall, the Mariannes 92 had stifled their opponent and thwarted the predictions. The Nantes women, first in the regular season and titled in the Coupe de France at the end of March, nevertheless presented themselves with the status of immense favorite. Jostled, they had stammered their volleyball without managing to respond to the Ile-de-France women.
But Juliette Gelin, the libero from Levallois Paris Saint-Cloud, is wary despite everything: “We are not stupid. The Nantes women did not crush everyone this season and were content to lose 3-0 in the final. We know they will respond in the second leg. »
The 22-year-old French international is aware of this, the level displayed by the Nantes Neptunes during the first act of the final is far from their full potential. So, Alessandro Orefice, the coach of Mariannes 92, set about keeping his team mobilized, without being carried away by the euphoria of victory.
“I told the girls: we are going to war in Nantes,” slips the Italian tactician. It will be very different from the first leg. The counters are reset to zero, especially with the format of this final. »
The coach is not mistaken, his team is not safe despite its great success during the first round. If Nantes won the return, whatever the score, then a golden set of 15 points would be played to decide between the two teams and determine the champion. A victory, on the other hand, would take the Mariannes to the Grail just a few months after the birth of the club, resulting from the merger between Levallois and Stade Français Paris Saint-Cloud.
“It’s a real final,” continues Juliette Gelin. We must keep our feet on the ground. Clearly, it will play out in the head. But we have a very talented coach for that. He always manages to put us in the best mental conditions. » Nantes has been warned.
