Volleyball: Montpellier University crowned French champions in 2025
On Wednesday, June 4, and Thursday, June 5, the Grenoble-based AURA (Auvergne Rhône-Alpes) League hosted the N1 and N2 finals of the French University Volleyball Championships.
Not only did Team 1 win the French N1 championship, but Team 2, which qualified for Nationale 2, had the luxury of finishing in second place. Montpellier University therefore secured two podium places in the 2025 edition.
Both teams performed brilliantly in the academic and inter-academic qualifying rounds at the beginning of the year. They are made up of students pursuing dual degrees in sports and STAPS/law/science/Sète connected campus. These athletes play for the Pôle France de Volley (CNVB) and in the MSHC Volley, Arago de Sète, Narbonne, Agde, and Ajaccio clubs.
After beating the University of Strasbourg (2-0), the University of Paris Cité STAPS (2-1), and the University of Rennes 1 (2-0), the team defeated INSA Lyon in the semifinals with a score of 2 sets to 0, then defeated the 2024 title holder, Tours, in the final with a score of 2 sets to 1. Team 2 lost in the final by a narrow margin of 2 sets to 1 against the University of Grenoble Alpes. The team had initially beaten the University of Lille, the University of Lyon, the University of Paris Saclay Orsay, and then the University of the Côte d'Azur in the group stage and then in the semi-finals without conceding a set.
On the women's side, Montpellier University, deprived of two key players selected for national training, managed to climb to fourth place in the National 2 Championship.
The University of Montpellier has qualified for the European University Championships in July 2026 in Salerno, Italy. The 2026 EUSA Games will feature around 20 sports, with 5,000 participants from 45 countries and 400 universities.
The roster for the men's team 1:
MARE Haukéa (Pôle France), GIBOUIN Valentin (Pôle France), RESPAUT Guillaume (Pôle France), BARBIER Wayan (Arago de Sète), PERLADE LOUIS (Ajaccio), FROUARD Simon (Pôle France), LEROYER Tom (Pôle France), SPANO Nathan (MHSC Montpellier), BRANCIER VALENTIN (Pôle France), SECRETANT TIMÉO (Pôle France), SCHLIENGER TRISTAN (Arago de Sète), ASI FLORIAN, HALLART Dominique (Manager)
The roster for Men's Team 2:
DOLADILLE Mathis (MHSC Montpellier), DJOUADJ Nadir (Arago de Sète), ROUS Gael (Agde Volleyball), SIKSOU Kayan (MHSC Montpellier), ROSSI Enio (Arago de Sète), LABBE Alexandre (MHSC Montpellier), ROUX Léonard (Arago de Sète), DELOLME Matthias (MHSC Montpellier), BOUCHER Raphael LAURENT (Narbonne), Laurent Eliott (MHSC Montpellier), REVEL Thibault (Arago de Sète), LOPEZ Enzo (Arago de Sète), GUERCIO Nathan (Manager)
The women's team roster: Sports Science / Medicine / Pharmacy / Law / Polytech
BERNARD Malory (Sète VB), CASABIANCA Zoé (Lattes), FERESIN Clara (ASV Mauguio), HAMEL Louise, LAMBE Solenne (Volleyclub Gignac), LECLERCQ Alice (Lattes), MENG Ninon (Vienne), MIQUEL Agathe, POMMERET Héléna (Montpellier Croix d’Argent), REY Auriana (LAMVAC), SANTER Lilou (Béziers Volley), CADART Julie (Manager)
