Brazil beats Italy in Women's Volleyball World Cup
The Brazilian women's volleyball team on Tuesday (Oct. 4) defeated Italy, one of the favorites in the Volleyball World Cup. The opening match of the second round of the competition, in Rotterdam (Netherlands), had the atmosphere of revenge. Brazil had lost to the opponents the title of the Nations League in July. But yesterday (Oct. 4) it was a different story: the Brazilians not only won by 3 sets to 2 (25/20, 22/25, 22/25, 25/21 and 17/15), but also broke the Italian's unbeaten streak in the World Cup.
The team coached by José Roberto Guimarães returns to the court at 11 a.m. (Brasília time) on Thursday (Oct. 6) playing against Puerto Rico, in the second game of Group E. The two-time Olympic champion is seeking its first World Cup title.
Gabi stood out among the players of the national team. The captain scored 30 points, and the central Carol 14. On the Italian side, opposite Paola Egonu scored 37 points.
"Our team plays with joy and attitude, giving confidence to each other. That´s why it is difficult for another team to beat us. We know we´ve played as a whole, the girls have supported me all the time. We are focused on our attitude. It was a very important result against one of the favorite teams in the competition. It´s a very long road and we are already thinking about Puerto Rico," added captain Gabi.
Brazil is disputing the second phase of the World Cup in Group E with seven other nations. In Group F there are eight other teams. At this stage of the World Cup the nations do not repeat the same clashes of the first phase, that is, Brazil will no longer have to face Japan, China and Argentina. The top four teams in each group will go forward to the quarterfinals.
Upcoming matches - second phase
06.10 (Thursday) - Brazil x Puerto Rico, at 11 a.m. (Brasilia time)
07.10 (Friday) - Brazil x Netherlands, at 3:15 p.m. (Brasilia time)
08.10 (Saturday) - Brazil x Belgium, at 12 p.m. (Brasília time)
