Ligue A Look-In #1: Will This Season Be a Tour de Force for Tours?

Note: To spread excitement for one of the top professional men’s leagues in the world, VolleyMob will profile each of the 12 teams competing in French Ligue A during the 2017-2018 season.

ESSENTIAL LINKS

STORY LINES

A perennial Ligue A favorite, Tours VB finished 3rd in the table last year with a 22-15 record, just 5 points behind league champs, Chaumont VB 52. In the playoffs, Tours lost to Spacer’s Toulouse VB in a five-set semifinal thriller. Over the summer, they beat Italian side Diatec Trentino in a dramatic 15-13 golden set to win the 2017 CEV Cup. Veteran Czech outside David Konecny capped an illustrious career by being named best player at the 2017 CEV Cup.

Players to Watch

Tours is addressing their need for a stronger middle presence by adding middle blocker Jasper Diefenbach, who moves over from Nantes Rezé Métropole. Ranked as the top middle in Ligue A last year, Diefenbach led the league with 82 blocks last season (3.72/game). Other key players include setter Guillermo Hernan, who was named 2nd-best setter at the CEV Cup, and veteran 41-year-old libero Hubert Henno, whose illustrious career includes winning bronze for France at the 2002 World Championships.

Players Arriving

Žiga Štern from ACH Volley Ljubljana in Slovenia
Svetoslav Gotsev from Argos Volley in Italy
Nathan Wounembaina from Chaumont Volley-Ball 52 in French Ligue A
Hermans Egleskalns from Nice Volley-Ball in French Ligue A
Moritz Reichert from United Volleys Rhein in Germany
Jasper Diefenbach from Nantes Rezé Métropole in French Ligue A

Players Leaving

David Konecny (retired)
Daniel Jansen Van Doorn to Chaumont Volley-Ball 52 in French Ligue A
Niklas Seppänen to Stroitel Mińsk in Belarus
Chris Zuidberg to TV Bühl in Germany
Ryley Barnes to Ural Ufa in Russia
Levi Cabral to Sesc/Rio de Janeiro in Brazil
Adam White to Berlin Volleys in Germany
Phillip Collin to VfB Friedrichshafen in Germany

3 Must-See Matches

Tours v. Paris Volleys (Oct. 28, 2017) The first match between perennial Ligue A powers
Tours v. Nantes Reze (Nov. 4, 2017) New middle Jasper Diefenbach faces his former team for the 1st time
Tours v. Spacer’s Toulouse (Dec. 16, 2017) A rematch of last season’s semifinal will give Tours a chance to avenge their five-set loss

2017-2018 ROSTER

* Indicates new roster addition

Theo Conre, receiver/attacker
Stanislas Rabiller, receiver/attacker
Ziga Stern, receiver/attacker*
Moritz Reichert, receiver/attacker*
Nathan Wounembaina, receiver/attacker*
Hermans Egleskalns, opposite*
Benjamin Henno, opposite
Quentin Jouffroy, middle
Svetoslav Gotsev, middle*
Jasper Diefenbach, middle*
Antoine Girault, middle
Guillermo Hernan, setter
Thomas Nevot, setter
Vincent Lombard, setter
Emile Raimond, setter
Hubert Henno, libero
Dimitri Huchot, libero
Antoine Fleury, libero

2016-2017 VIDEO

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qG91qVMxyc&w=560&h=315]