In focus: Ezequiel Palacios
“We are really happy to participate in the Champions League. It is for the first time in the history of Montpellier to take part in the tournament. We have many expectations, and we hope to be able to have an important role. We are in a tough group, but we know that we can continue ahead to the next phase. Our opponents are all super strong, but we need to be prepared. Our mission is to try to deliver the best performance that we can, and then, we will see the results,” Ezequiel Palacios, the captain of #CLVolleyM rookies of Montpellier HSC VB says days before the first appearance of his team on the biggest European Volleyball stage.
And it is for sure that the players of the French team will give their best in their debut in the CEV Champions League. Reigning champions in the LNV Ligue A Masculine (LAM), Montpellier will be inspired to show the Volleyball community across the continent that their place is among the best European teams.
To do so, they will count on a roster, composed by both younger and more experienced players - the best example for this, the duo Théo Faure-Ezequiel Palacios. And while Faure is shining bright in the French League matches this season, eyes will be on Palacios as well.
Born in 1992, Ezequiel is one of the leaders in the Montpellier team. He joined the squad from Southern France in 2020, and has been working hard towards helping his team raise the level.
Before becoming part of Montpellier, he competed in Top Volley Cisterna, Ciudad Voley, Indykpol AZS Olsztyn and La Unión de Formosa.
The outside hitter has an impressive list of honours and achievements - among them, a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics with the Argentina Men’s National Team.
On a club level with Montpellier, he finished 3rd in CEV Volleyball Cup in 2021, and, as already mentioned, became champion of France in 2021/2022. In September this year, he also won the French Supercup.
Native of Formosa, Argentina, Palacios has various big individual awards to his name -
Best spiker at the Hubert Wagner Memorial 2022, MVP at the Pan American Cup 2018,
Best outside hitter at the Pan American Cup 2018, Best receiver at the South American Olympic Qualification 2016 among others.
Focused on maintaining the level, as this is one of his main “weapons” in the long term, Ezequiel has started pretty well in the French Legue this season. In the match for the Supercup against Chaumont (won by Montpellier 3-1), the Argentinian scored 25 points, delivering 66% efficiency in attacking.
Together with Theo Faure, Palacios has been one of the players, delivering the most stable performance in the other fixtures of the Montpellier team so far. Although they have three losses and one win only, it is just the beginning of the championship, and the reigning champions are still searching for their rhythm.
In the first match against St. Nazaire (lost 1-3), he scored 14 points (46% exc.), in the second round fixture against Paris Volley (lost 0-3) he contributed with 13 (50% exc.), in the game against Tours VB (lost 1-3) recorded 12 points (36% exc.), and in the last one against Nice (won 3-1) finished with 20 points (57% exc.).
On the European Volleyball stage with Montpellier, Ezequiel has competed in the last two seasons in the CEV Volleyball Cup.
More impressive is his performance in the 2020/2021 edition of the competition, when he scored 40 points, playing in four matches (12 sets), meaning an average of 3,33 per set.
With the right motivation to conquer new peaks in his Volleyball career, Palacios has many Volleyball tricks up his sleeve, and his #CLVolleyM rivals might be looking forward to meeting a fierce opponent.
Watch #CLVolleyM live on EuroVolley.TV.