Ligue A Look-In #2: Is Chaumont 52 Ready to Repeat as Champs?

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

• Chaumont 52 Team Site
• French Ligue A Site
• 2017-2018 Schedule
• VolleyMob’s 5 Reasons to Follow French Ligue A

STORY LINES

It was a season to remember for the side representing a small town of around 22,000 residents. By the time last season had ended, Chaumont 52 Haute-Marne had been crowned French Ligue A champions and finished runner-up to Russia’s Fakel Novy Urengoy in the prestigious CEV Challenge Cup. Chaumont 52 has since seen significant turnover, but continues to be led by 21-year-old opposite and French national team rising star, Stephen Boyer, who remains under contract through 2019. Boyer scored 18 points in the five-set gold medal match, helping France defeat Brazil in the 2017 World League Finals.

Players to Watch

In addition to Boyer, the Chaumont side returns opposite Wassim Ben Tara, setter Javier Gonzalez and middles Kevin Rodriguez and Jonas Aguenier, who recorded seven points in the championship match against Toulouse. The French Ligue A champions welcome several notables to their 2017-2018 roster, including outside Nikola Mijailović, who transferred from French Ligue A rival GFC Ajaccio Volley-Ball, Canadian libero Bryan Duquette, who represented Canada at multiple international competitions in the past year, and UC Irvine alum Michael Saeta, who won the U.S. collegiate beach championships in May.

Players Arriving

• Sauli Sinkkonen from Topvolley Callant Antwerpen in Belgium
• Daniel Jansen Van Doorn from Tours VB in French Ligue A
• Bryan Duquette from CV Mitteldeutschland in Germany
• Michael Saeta (USA) from UC Irvine in the USA
• Bruno Lima from Obras Sanitarias de San Juan in Argentina
• Nikola Mijailović from GFC Ajaccio Volley-Ball in French Ligue A
• Jérémie Mouiel from Nantes Rezé Métropole in French Ligue A
• Yacine Louati from Spacer’s Toulouse in French Ligue A

Players Leaving

• Jordan Corteggiani to Top Volley Latina in Italy
• Matej Patak to Warta Zawiercie in Poland
• Gijs Jorna to Tricolorul LMV Ploiesti in Romania
• Gary Chauvin to Nantes Rezé Métropole in French Ligue A
• Dan McDonnell to Trefl Gdańsk in Poland
• Sebastian Closter to Rennes Volley 35 in French Ligue A
• Jean-Philippe Sol to Narbonne Volley in French Ligue A
• Nathan Wounembaina to Tours VB in French Ligue A

3 Must-See Matches

• Chaumont v. Ajaccio (Oct. 7, 2017) The 2016 Ligue A champs kick off the season against the 2016 French Cup winners
• Chaumont v. Paris Volley (Oct. 21, 2017) Small-town champs take on perennial big-city favorites
• Chaumont v. Spacer’s Toulouse (Dec. 12, 2017) Rematch of last season’s five-set championship match

2017-2018 ROSTER

* Indicates new roster addition

• Bruno Lima, receiver/attacker*
• Nikola Mijailović, receiver/attacker*
• Jérémie Mouiel, reciever/attacker*
• Yacine Louati, receiver/attacker*
• Stephen Boyer, opposite
• Wassim Ben Tara, opposite
• Jonas Aguenier, middle
• Kevin Rodriguez, middle
• Sauli Sinkkonen, middle*
• Daniel Jansen Van Doorn, middle*
• Michael Saeta, setter*
• Javier Gonzalez, setter
• Bryan Duquette, libero*

VIDEO