The feat of the Sainte-Maxime Cogolin Volley M13s who took the title of French vice-champion

Qualifying for the French Beach Volleyball Cup national final was already a real achievement for the Sainte-Maxime Cogolin Volley U13s! The young Maximoises volleyball players surprised everyone by only losing in the final against Seyssins (Isère)!

Even their coach, president Amélie Lafet, didn't expect such a performance from her charges. "There was no goal at the start; what I didn't want was to be playing for places 9 to 12 after the group matches, which is what happened to us last year with another team," the manager emphasized. The national final took place in Châteauroux and brought together the top 12 teams.

After two successes in the group stage, against Vannes and Dunkirk, the young Maximoises qualified directly for the final phase successively eliminated Sartrouville in the quarter-finals then Saint-Jean-de-Braye (Loiret) in the semi-finals.

The unfortunately lost final left some regrets. "They played this final in their heads before it even started. There was a little too much pressure in a different context, large spectators, team presentations... It's a shame because there was room to win, the girls are still vice-champions of France. They surprised all the teams present, we were the Little Thumb," adds Amélie Lafet proudly.

Once the disappointment had passed, the French runners-up all wore bright smiles during the medal and cup ceremony. Congratulations to Kheila Madouni, Livia Lamothe, Emmy Noël, Louna Collot, and Mathilde Poncet for their magnificent performance.

The good news is that they're all in their ^first year of age. We'll see them again next season. "Apart from the final, they were fantastic in terms of game intelligence and mental strength!" concludes the president, still on cloud nine.