Okayama, Japan, September 2, 2006: Brazil downed Dominican Republic in straight sets in the first match on the second day of the World Grand Prix Okayama leg on Saturday afternoon.
 Brazil won 3-0 (25-22, 25-22, 26-24) to improve their win-loss record to a perfect 8-0, while Dominican Republic dropped to 2-6 with just one match remaining in the preliminary round. The two teams had met the previous week in Macau, where Brazil had won in the fifth set, but there were no such dramas this time.
 There were few rallies in the first set, which Brazil led most of the way and Dominican Republic spent playing catch-up.
 Brazil led 8-5 and 16-14 at the two technical breaks, and neither coach needed a TO until Dominican Republic called one trailing 18-15.
 Sheilla Castro was quickly into her attacking groove for Brazil, while Dominican Republic enjoyed most success at the centre of the net, thanks to Yudelkys Bautista and Annerys Vargas. Out wide, Nuris Arias was well marked by the Brazilian blockers.
 As the set drew to a conclusion, Mari Steinbrecher brought Brazil home down the stretch, and one crashing winner was particularly noteworthy after Fabiana had allowed the ball to by-pass her in a slick attacking move.
 Dominican Republic saved one set point, but an Arias serve floated wide to hand Brazil the opening frame 25-22.
 With Brazil already qualified for the Final Round in Italy next week, and Dominican Republic already out of contention, both teams lacked intensity but still produced a wide range of skills to keep the neutral crowd entertained.
 The sight of Fabiana ramming home another ferocious winner for Brazil always draws gasps from the Japanese fans, and she did not let them down in this match, while the points machines Castro, Jaqueline Carvalho and Steinbrecher kept the scoreboard moving rapidly.
 As Brazil built up a four-point lead, 14-10, Dominican Republic needed a TO to try and knock Brazil out of their stride, and Vargas did her best on the resumption of play with some agile net play.
 When Dominican Republic closed the gap to 20-17, with a serve from Karla Echenique which caught Brazil asleep, head coach Ze Roberto called a TO, and it needed some determined play from Castro to halt the slump.
 A bullet spike from the rarely-used Sassa gave Brazil set point at 24-21, and the same player closed out the second set, 25-22.
 Brazil trailed 3-0 early in the third, requiring a TO to address the situation, but had recovered to lead 8-6 at the first TTO thanks to a block by Caroline Gattaz on Bethania De La Cruz. A delicate drop-shot from Prisilla Rivera kept the Brazilians thinking, and the same player was more forceful a little later, her powerful left-wing spike bringing Dominican Republic to within a point at 13-12.
 With improved blocking and defence, Dominican Republic took fresh heart, and led by two, 16-14, at the second TTO. Fabiana and Sassa put Brazil back on course, though, and they took the third set 26-24 on their fifth match point.