Women's Brazilian National Team - Montreux Volley Masters

The Women’s Brazilian Team starts its journey aiming to defend gold at 2016 Rio Olympic Games. The team is completely renewed. Fabi, Fabiana, Sheila, Jaqueline, Thaisa, Mari and Paula are not in the plans for this year. Now we have Priscila Dairot, Ellen Braga, Monique and Michelle Pavão, Juciely, Letícia Hage, Suellen, Camila Brait and Claudinha. Fabiola was again invited. Also, the squad includes Dani Lins, Fernanda Garay, Tandara and Adenízia, - the only remaining players who participated at London 2012 Olympic Games.

Comparing to the London team, the 2013 group does not have the high physical strength and height, however it has huge technical quality and agility.

Probably, the setters that will command the team will be Dani Lins and Fabiola. Camila Brait is going to be the libero and Tandara, the opposite. The outstanding Fernanda Garay will be one of the outside hitters. Priscila Dairot and Ellen Braga fight for the last spot.

The first test for the squad will be the Montreux Volley Masters (May 28^th  – June 2^nd ) in Switzerland.

[source: Volley Master website]

Men’s South American Club Championship

The city of Belo Horizonte (MG) will host the Men’s South American Club Championship, which will be held from 6th to 12th May. Games will take place in the Arena Vivo, belonging to Minas Tenis Clube.

As host of the competition, Vivo/Minas, placed fourth in the latest edition of the Brazilian Superliga, will be one of eight participants in the tournament. The others will be RJX Superliga Champion; Vikingos de Miranda from Venezuela; Peerless Volleyball Club from Peru, Carmelo Rowing Club from Uruguay; and the two finalists of the Argentinian League, UPCN San Juan and Buenos Aires Unidos.

To date, there have been played 32 championships and the Brazilians won 27 opportunities, and the Argentine clubs five. The greatest champion are: Banespa from Brazil, with six titles and Paulistano also from Brazil, which won five.

Among the 2013 participating teams, only the Vivo/Minas has won the title. The “mineiros” have three trophies (1984/85/99). The Argentines from UPCN San Juan were the runner-up in the last two editions. The current champion is Sada Cruzeiro from Brazil.

See below the competition formula and schedule:

Pool A

• Vivo/Minas (Brazil)
• UPCN (Argentina)
• Club Peerless (Peru)

Pool B

• RJX (Brazil)
• Buenos Aires Unidos (Argentina)
• Vikingos de Miranda (Venezuela)
• Carmelo Rowing Club (Uruguay)

5/8 (Wednesday)

3:30PM – Buenos Aires Unidos x Vikingos de Miranda

6:00PM – RJX x Carmelo Rowing Club

8:30PM – Vivo/Minas x Club Peerless

5/9 (Thursday)

3:30PM – Carmelo Rowing Club x Buenos Aires Unidos

6:00PM – RJX x Vikingos de Miranda

8:30PM – Vivo/Minas x UPCN

5/10 (Friday)

3:30PM – Vikingos de Miranda x Carmelo Rowing Club

6:00PM – Club Peerless x UPCN

8:30PM – RJX x Buenos Aires Unidos

Semi-finals ( 5/11 Saturday)

7:00PM – 2^nd A x 1^st B

21:45PM – 1^nd A x 2^st B

Finals (5/12 Sunday)

4:30PM – Bronze Medal Final

7:30PM – Gold Medal Final

Amil/Campinas team for 13/14 Season

José Roberto Guimarães will have a great team in the next season. Amil/Campinas signed a contract with Tandara, a strong attacker who can play as opposite or outside hitter. She came from Sesi and she was the top scorer of the 12/13 Superliga. 

Also, Kristin Richards, from USA, was hired. She is known by her excellent reception. She was in the American national team, but at the last moment, she did not go to the London Olympic Games. Hugh McCutcheon , the coah, chose Megan Hodges. 

Supposedly, Natalia completes the list of hitters, but it will be confirmed just after the South American Volleyball Club Championship, since Natalia will play in the Unilever team.

With these three players, the team has unique flexibility, since Natalia and Tandara can play as receiver. In case Natalia, does not go well as a receiver, Tandara can help.

The setter is going to be Claudinha, and the confirmed middle blockers are Angelica and Walewska. Michelle Daldegan, who did not play the last season due to an injury, will be the libero.

Another foreigner player can be also hired.

Definitely, Amil/Campinas has great probabilities of ending Unilever and Solly/Osasco's hegemony.

[photos fivb]

Men set for thrilling finale

Tomorrow, Sunday, is the great Men’s Superliga final. In the Maracanãzinho Gymnasium , at 10AM local time, RJX will play against Cruzeiro. Cruzeiro won the championship last year, and RJX was the best team during the qualification in this season.

RJX has a line up full of silver medallists from 2012 Olympic Games: Dante, Lucão, Bruno, and Thiago Alves. Mario Júnior (libero) and Theo (opposite) were also part of the group in the 2010 World Championship.

Cruzeiro had just Wallace in the Brazilian 2012 Olympic team. However, the team has the extraordinary setter William, and the Cuban spiking machine Leal. These three players can make the difference tomorrow.

Definitely, this match could easily go either way.

[photos from cbv]

Superliga 12/13 - New talented young players

Gabi can be considered the revelation of last year, when she was in Mackenzie. Now, she only confirmed her good volleyball. This year, a lot of talented volleyball players emerged in the Superliga. As welcome revelations (or confirmations) we had Ellen and Macris in Pinheiros. Rosamaria in Amil, despite she played just a few games. The promising middle blockers:  Angélica (Praia Clube) and Bia (Sesi). Juliana Carrijo completes the list. Fascinatingly, none of all possess great physical strength or height. The question is for how long they will keep the excellent technical level?

Minas defeats Rio de Janeiro by 3-0 – Semi-final playoff tied

After losing the first match, last week, Minas fought their way back into the semi-final with great collective spirit and good old fashioned guts to a splendid 3-0.

Rio de Janeiro's boys just could not enter the match and looked totally shocked. Lucão, one of Rio’s best players, was even replaced by Ualas.

In the third set, the last chance for Rio Janeiro, Lucarelli from Minas caused plenty of problems, especially with his high speed serves, causing great confusion in the Rio de Janeiro reception. After wrapping up the set and the match in superb fashion, Lucarelli was elected the best player.

Next game is going to be on Friday, 5th in Rio de Janeiro. Whoever wins this game goes to the final.

 [photo from cbv]

Cruzeiro advances to final after 3-0 win over Sesi

Cruzeiro poured tears over São Paulo. Sesi and Cruzeiro had the second semi-final match. Again, as last week, the team from Minas Gerais won: 3-0 to claim the final match.  Regardless of the two 3-0 in the semi-finals, the battle was tied, but Cruzeiro used his powerful attacks and serves to define both matches. At the end of the game, Wallace was the top scorer with 19 points.

Serginho felt an injury during the match, causing problems in the Sesi reception. He did not keep the same brilliant reception level that he has. Also, Cleber made several mistakes in reception. Unfortunately, all these errors compromised the whole match. Not even Murilo (the best player in the 2012 Olympic Games), could lead his team for the win.

Cruzeiro is again in the Superliga’s final – the third in a row.

[photos cbv and Joao Pires/vipcomm]