Beautiful weekend for Nantes volleyball: the day after the first coronation of the “Neptunes” among women, Nantes Rezé in turn opened its prize list, with the Men’s French Cup, by clearly beating Montpellier on Sunday (3-0: 25 -16, 25-22, 26-24) in the final in Paris. Defeated in the final in 2017, the Loire club, formed in 2006 from the merger of Nantes and Rezé, confirms its rise in power in recent years, particularly since the arrival on the bench of former French international Hubert Henno, in 2021 .
Second in the regular season of the championship last year and this season (play-offs in progress), he tamed Montpellier from start to finish, who were also aiming for a first Coupe de France. But the Héraultais were unable to do anything against the superiority of Nantes Rezé in almost all sectors, carried by the duo composed of the sharp Brazilian Chizoba and the promising receiver-attacker Mathis Henno (son of Hubert).
A doublet perfectly served by the passer Anatole Chaboissant, author of two aces in the 5-0 inflicted by his team from the start and who set the tone of the afternoon at the Carpentier hall. “Nantes played really well in all areas, made an incredible start. We, perhaps, were a little taken aback by the issue,” declared Montpellier central Nicolas Le Goff at the microphone of Sport en France. The second and third rounds were more close and partly unraveled by Chizoba.
The best player in the championship in 2023 and 2024 achieved a series of serves which allowed Nantes Rezé to break away at 24-21 in the second set. And in the final round, where Montpellier broke away at 23-21 then had a set point (24-23), the Brazilian offered, with a delicate attack, the first coronation ball.
“These are very strong emotions as it is the club’s first title. We really wanted it, it was felt on the pitch with a clear and precise 3-0” commented Mathis Henno, who will try with his teammates to achieve the Cup-championship double.
