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
- Tourcoing Lille Metropole Team Site
- 2017-2018 Tourcoing Lille Metropole Roster
- French Ligue A Site
- 2017-2018 Schedule
- VolleyMob’s 5 Reasons to Follow French Ligue A
STORY LINES
Tourcoing Lille Metropole moves up from French Ligue B after winning the 2016-2017 regular season table with a 17-3 record and 49 points. With a solid core of players who signed two-year core last September, they’ve been allowed to progress together and gel as a team. This should serve them well as they find themselves thrown right into the Ligue A fire with an opening match against Tours.
Players to Watch
While they haven’t added many new players, the ones coming in should make an impact, including Liu Libin, the latest addition. The receiver/attacker has competed for China’s national team since 2012, most recently in 2017 World League play. The TLM side also brings in Austrian middle Peter Wohlfahrtstätter, who was on the World League roster for his native Austria. Another player to watch is high-flying opposite Ronald Jimenez, who returns for a second season with the Tourcoing side.
Players Arriving
- Liu Libin from Beijing BAIC Motors in China
- Julien Lemay from Volley Menen in Belgium
- Martti Juhkami from Hypo Tirol Innsbruck in Austria
- Peter Wohlfahrtstätter from Dafi Społem Kielce in Poland
Players Leaving
- Bogdan Olefir to Jakarta Pertamina Ergi in Indonesia
- Nicolas Anat retired
3 Must-See Matches
- Tourcoing v. Tours (Oct. 14, 2017) Why not have your first match in Ligue A be against a perennial frontrunner. Why not indeed?
- Tourcoing v. Rennes 35 (Nov. 4, 2017) Two familiar foes from Ligue B (see video below) face each other for the first time in the top league.
- Tourcoing v. Chaumont 52 (Nov. 11, 2017) Every side in Ligue A has their first shot at last season’s champs circled on their calendars.
2017-2018 ROSTER
* Indicates new roster addition
- Liu Lubin, receiver/attacker*
- Martti Juhkami, receiver/attacker*
- Thibaut Thoral, receiver/attacker
- Oleksiy Klyamar, receiver/attacker
- Guillaume Vedel, receiver/attacker
- Ronald Jimenez, opposite
- Maxime Capet, opposite
- Marc Zopie, middle
- Peter Wohfahrtstatter, middle*
- Tim Smit, middle
- Miguel Tavares, setter
- Quentin Schouteten, setter
- Julien Lemay, libero*
- Tom Cannesant, libero
Le haut d'un filet de volley est à 2m43…une petite idée de la hauteur à laquelle frappe Ronald Jimenez ? ?? pic.twitter.com/ek4gEwJ2FL
— TLM Volley-Ball (@TLMVolleyBall) January 4, 2017
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