MATCH INFO

Sapporo, Japan, November 11, 2011 - A stunning block from captain Fabiana Claudino clinched a crucial 3-2 (25-23, 25-27, 21-25, 25-20, 17-15) victory for Brazil against China in their opening match of round three in Sapporo on Friday.

In the highest scoring match of the competition to date, both teams were ruthless in attack and amazing in defence. It was a match of discipline and dynamism, and fully deserving of the title of one of the matches of the tournament.

Three time champions China looked to have the match in the bag at 2-1 up, but Olympic title holders and world No. 1 Brazil showed their class with great stamina and a work ethic to die for to fight back, with Fabiana's block on Ruoqi Hui sealing the deal.

The five-set win, Brazil's fifth from six matches, kept them in fifth position on 12 points while China slipped to fourth behind Germany on 13.
 
Having escaped the first two rounds with three come-from behind victories, China ran up against a strong Brazil team that proved less forgiving in the face of their mistakes, taking a two-hour, five-set thriller. Leading the Brazilians with 21 points was Paula Pequeno. She was supported by Fabiana who posted 19 points, including an all important block at the end which clinched the match. For China, Zhang Lei scored 18 points, with Ruoqi and Yang Junjing supporting with 17.

Brazil started fast in the first set, with Sheilla Castro bringing three early attacks to help her side take seven of the first eight points. China’s struggled as Brazil’s Thaisa Menezes put consecutive stuffs on Wang Yimei and Zhang Lei for scores, and yet another from Sheilla on Wang gave them a 14-7 edge. With Chinese coach Yu Juemin yelling himself hoarse on the sideline, Zhang Lei responded with a pair of spikes to draw even at 21. But the stubborn Brazilians would close it out 25-23.

It was all Sheilla to start the second set as she posted Brazil’s first three attacks of the set and followed later with a pair of devastating aces to put her side up 10-6. But Wang would spark a run that proved painful for Brazil’s Fabiana Oliveira (Fabi) as her spike would knock the libero over to make it 13-9, and then Hui drove an attack that hit her in the jaw, tying the match at 16-16. Zhang Lei brought two attacks to edge ahead 24-23, and that proved to be the turning point as China went on to take the second set.

China took that momentum into the third set grabbing six of the first seven points, including a pair of stingy blocks from Yang and Wang up front. Brazil powered back to draw within one thanks to a series of blocks from Tandara Caixeta, Marianne Steinbrecher (Mari), and Fabiana. But try as they might they couldn’t block Wang who posted a pair of drives and a thunderous ace to help close the third 25-21, two sets to one for China.

Zhang Lei started the fourth well with a trio of impressive spikes to put China ahead 12-9 early. But errant serves from herself and Yang let Brazil claw back, and drives from Fabiana would bring Brazil even at 15-15. After a mental mistake from Hui on a spike that went wide, Paula followed with a spike and a block to give Brazil a five-point lead they kept till the end, closing the fourth 25-20, pulling even at two sets all.

Brazil’s Paulo was the story in the fifth set, with the third of her three spikes early putting her side up 7-6. But Zhang Lei would counter with two spikes of her own for China. Ma’s sixth block of the match was a timely one, moving China ahead 11-8. But more Paula spikes would give her side two set points, and they capitalized on the second as Fabiola denied Zhang Lei at the net with her seventh block and most important block, taking the set 17-15 and the match 3-2.