Grand Nancy VB Coupe de France first round win at Harnes, Digi Mart USA News: Frustrated by its recent 2-3 defeat to Saint-Quentin, Nancy was determined to bounce back in the Coupe de France, a welcome break from league competition.
Harnes Volley-Ball was missing a core of its lineup, which was disrupted early in the season by a heavy administrative suspension. The opening of the match was evenly contested, with Pereyra answering Tsmokalo point for point (6-6, 9-9).
Harnes then began to build an advantage by varying its play (18-16) and committing fewer service errors (21-18, 24-21). The home side appeared to be in control, but Nancy tightened its defense.
Successive equalizers followed in a tense back-and-forth contest. Harnes eventually took the first set after 52 minutes, winning 39-37.
That effort came at a cost. Harnes lost intensity and focus, allowing Haber to shine at the block (3-7), on serve (11-16) and in attack (15-21, then 21-25).
Nancy refined its play, and although Harnes remained within reach (10-11, 20-21), Marty’s clinical finishing helped Borcic’s team avoid the pitfalls of the first set, winning 25-27 in the second.
Struggling on serve, Harnes let Nancy pull away (5-11), spending too much energy on arguments. Nancy managed its lead (10-15, 16-20) despite a late home rally, taking the third set 18-25 to complete the 3-1 victory.
The sets were: 39-37 (52 minutes), 21-25 (29 minutes), 25-27 (34 minutes), 18-25 (30 minutes).
