Saint-Nazaire needed a full five sets and a late rally to beat Ligue B side Reims 3-2 (25-27, 25-11, 25-15, 18-25, 13-15) in the Coupe de France round of 32 on Tuesday, November 3, at the René-Tys arena in Reims, in front of 874 spectators, Ouest-France reported.
The Ligériens dropped the second and third sets by wide margins — 11-25 and 15-25 — before turning the match around in the fourth and fifth sets to book their place in the huitièmes de finale.
Quentin Marion keeps only the result
Saint-Nazaire coach Quentin Marion was blunt about the performance, telling Ouest-France that the only things worth remembering were the win and the qualification. He said he hoped his players were not satisfied either, given that they scored only 11 and 15 points in the two sets they lost.
Marion also credited Reims, saying the home side played very well and deserved credit, while acknowledging his own team was well below its standard for two sets. He added that Saint-Nazaire had known it could not let Reims believe they had a chance, and that is what happened.
Yusniel González Martí turns the match
The comeback was driven by Cuban opposite Yusniel González Martí, the 22-year-old who finished as Saint-Nazaire’s top scorer with 15 points and was named man of the match, Ouest-France reported. With the Nazairiens short on inspiration, González Martí put them back on track.
Marion said the performance was no surprise: González Martí has been at Saint-Nazaire for two years and has brought plenty of energy since the start of the season, playing at full intensity. The coach said the match showed he can count on him, which is good for the team.
Top scorers reveal team contributions
Saint-Nazaire’s other scorers included Tuinstra with 13, Jeanlys with 11, Jenness with 9, and Michelucci Moralez with 8. For Reims, Lalisse led with 11 points, while Diawara, Bianchi, Soares Cerqueira and captain Soualem each scored 10, and Coulet added 6. The match was officiated by referees Breton and Decorde.
Montpellier awaits as underdogs in the round of 16
In the next round, the club will host defending French champions Montpellier at the Volstar, Pierre-de-Coubertin, next Saturday, where the Nazairiens will go in as underdogs, Ouest-France reported.
Saint-Nazaire is also chasing a turnaround in Ligue AM, with a trip to Poitiers on the schedule as the club looks for a spark in the league.
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