France clawed back from two sets down and punched a ticket to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 men’s volleyball semifinals.
France looked in serious trouble after the first two sets of their Olympic Games Paris 2024 quarterfinals tiff against Germany.
But there was no way the Roosters would let the home crowd at the South Paris Arena 1 down, pulling off an incredible reverse sweep of the Germans, 18-25, 26-28, 25-20, 25-21, 15-13 on Tuesday, August 6 (Philippine time).
The defending Olympic champions leaned on Earvin Ngapeth and Trevor Clevenot to salvage the team from the jaws of imminent defeat, marching on to the semifinals.
Ngapeth fired 21 points, while Clevenot put up 20 for the home team, which will face Italy in the penultimate stage.
Down two sets, France suddenly flipped the switch in the third frame, seizing control early to deny the German team a sweep.
With Ngapeth and Clevenot at the forefront of the attack, there was just no stopping France from then on.
Theo Faure and Barthelemy Chinenyeze combined for 20 points for the French to complete the comeback victory.
Meanwhile, Germany turned to old reliable Gyorgy Grozer, who finished with a game-high 22 points.
The oldest in the competition at 39 years old, Grozer also had four blocks in the swashbuckling match that went the distance.
Tobias Krick and Anton Brehme had 14 points each, while Moritz Reichert had 13 for Germany.