Montpellier HSC VB claimed a vital Champions League victory, outlasting Cucine Lube Civitanova 3–2 after a gripping five-set battle that kept qualification hopes alive until the final ball.
Backed by a passionate home crowd at the Palais des Sports Jacques Chaban-Delmas, Montpellier prevailed 29–27, 25–22, 14–25, 18–25, 16–14 in a match full of momentum swings. The hosts showed composure early, saving three set points to steal the opener before capitalizing on Civitanova’s serve errors to move two sets clear.
The Italian side, two-time Champions League winners, fought back strongly. Led by a relentless Nikolov, who finished as the match’s top scorer with 34 points, Civitanova dominated the third and fourth sets to force a tie-break. Loeppky added 22 points, while Bottolo chipped in with 12 in a powerful comeback attempt.
The decider was pure drama. Civitanova led early and even held a match point, but Montpellier refused to buckle. Palacios and Hirsch topped the scoring for the French side with 14 points each, while Lopez Pascual (11) and Mare (10) provided crucial support. Palacios was later named MVP after his all-around display.
Result
- Montpellier HSC VB 3–2 Cucine Lube Civitanova
(29–27, 25–22, 14–25, 18–25, 16–14)