Ufolep Departmental Championship: Joinville champion

On Thursday, June 5, the gym buzzed with excitement for the grand finale of the Ufolep departmental championship, pitting Doulaincourt against Joinville. After a final phase played over three matches, the two teams were tied. This final confrontation therefore had the feel of a true final to determine the 2025 champion. Joinville had eliminated the Cheminots de Chaumont team in the semi-final, while Doulaincourt had won against Langres. Ufolep (French Union of Secular Physical Education Works), which created this competition, allows players of all ages (from 15-16 years old to over 40 years old) to come together in a friendly, yet competitive atmosphere. The Joinville club, with thirteen players, including three women, embodies this diversity and passion. The match was as intense as it was balanced. Doulaincourt started the match with a bang, winning the first set (25-19). But Joinville responded with panache, stringing together three high-flying sets (25-16, 25-20, 25-18), to ultimately win (3-1). A deserved victory for a team that demonstrated cohesion, solidity, and talent in decisive moments.

The Petit Bois tournament, Saturday, June 21

Régis Mercier, head of the Joinville team, said he was very moved by this achievement. He was proud to meet former students he had trained in the volleyball section of the Joinville middle school. For the first year of operation, the success is total: 60 members registered in the Ufolep section, a final reached and a champion title at stake. The season is not quite over yet: the next big date is the Petit Bois tournament, organized as every year in Joinville. See you on June 21, hoping for better weather than last year, when the tournament was canceled due to bad weather and flooding.

From our correspondent Virginie Thibault