Paris (AFP)
The French volleyball players remain in good standing in the Final Six of the League of Nations after their victory at the leader, Iran 3-0 (25-18, 26-24, 25-21), Sunday at Ardabil.
After this fourth and penultimate weekend without fail in Iran, where they also beat two more modest teams, Australia and Portugal, the Blues are in the leading quartet with 9 successes and 3 losses.
We must finish in the top six (or five if the United States, qualified as organizers, are in the six) of the regular phase to play the Final Six in Chicago from July 10 to 14.
It remains the French three games, all very difficult, to play next weekend in Brasilia against Brazil, Italy and Canada, to complete the first phase.
Laurent Tillie's team is using this League of Nations, the former World League that France has won twice in 2015 and 2017, to prepare the two priority goals of the summer, the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Poland. August and the Euro in France at the end of September.
The numbers are very much like those of other major nations. Thus Earvin Ngapeth, Kevin Tillie or Jenia Grebennikov were not at Ardabil.
Against Iran, which was only the second defeat, the striker-receiver Trevor Clévenot finished better scorer with 15 points.
? 2019 AFP