Brazil beat Japan in Volleyball World Cup

Brazil qualified in advance for the round of 16 of the men's Volleyball World Cup by defeating Japan on Sunday (Aug. 28), by 3 sets to 0 (25/21, 25/18, and 25/16), at the Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.

Unlike the tense debut last Friday (26), the national team coached by Renan Dal Zotto beat Cuba 3 sets to 2 on Sunday, showing its determination to become the four-time world champion.

"We defended 40 ball throws that generated counterattacks, while the Japanese defended 30. This is important information because it shows how well our blocking and defense system worked today. We are happy for the early classification and for the team's Evolution," Dal Zotto said at the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV) after the match.

With the second victory in a row, the team leads Group B with five points, one ahead of Cuba, which is in second place. Qualified for the round of 16, the Brazilians return to compete on Tuesday (30), at 6 am (Brasília time), against Qatar, the last game of the first phase.

On Sunday (28), the top scorer was pointer Leal, who scored 17 points (13 attacking, two blocking, and two serving). Just like in the debut, the experience of opposite Wallace also made a difference in the match: he had 13 hits (11 in attack and two in blocking).

"We played a great game, and we were better compared to our debut. This is a very important victory, it brought us more confidence. We are on the right track. I am doing my best like everyone else on the team. I am happy with my individual performance, but the main goal is the victory of the team," Leal explained.