France made a spectacular debut in the men’s volleyball tournament of the Paris 2024 Olympics, thrilling a home crowd of over 10,000 by overcoming Serbia 3-2 (23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 15-6) on Sunday. The match, played in a raucous atmosphere fueled by the fervent support of local fans, saw the Olympic champions rally from behind to secure their first win in Pool A.
French outside hitter Trévor Clévenot led the charge with 23 points, including 17 kills and five blocks, while opposite Jean Patry added 22 points with 19 kills and three aces. Star player Earvin Ngapeth contributed 14 points. Despite the loss, Serbia earned one point and showcased strong performances from Marko Podraščanin and Drazen Luburić.
In another Pool A match, Slovenia achieved a milestone by winning their first-ever Olympic volleyball match, defeating Canada 3-1 (25-21, 25-20, 20-25, 25-21). Slovenia’s Tonček Štern, who briefly left the court due to injury, led with 24 points. Klemen Čebulj and Tine Urnaut also contributed significantly with 15 and 13 points, respectively. Canada’s Eric Loeppky and Arthur Szwarc scored 17 and 14 points, respectively.
