Brazil claims 7th World Grand Prix title with perfect 5-0 record

Tag : Round Over Bit
Brazil earned a hard-fought 3-0 victory over hosts Japan Sundayevening to win their seventh World Grand Prix title with a perfect5-0 record as the 2008 edition of the women's Volleyball galalowered its curtain at Yokohama Arena. Cuba rallied past World No.2 Italy 3-1for the silver while the United States held off reigningOlympic champions China 3-2 to finish fourth.

With the 25-23, 25-23 and 25-19 victory over the fighting hosts,the Brazilians crowned in the six-team round robin where theydropped only one set. Their earlier Grand Prix titles came in1994,1996, 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006.

Brazil's Marianne Steinbrecher, who scored 12 points in the lastmatch, won the award of the Most Valuable Player.

"We were expected to win the Grand Prix after beating Cubayesterday, but still we had to pay attention not to lose this lastmatch and continue to compete at a high-level," said Brazilhead coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes. "We have many things to do.I do not like the Brazil defense. I think we have to be better inBeijing."

"The block is good, but on the counter-attack we made manymistakes. In general we played well here and I expect we canmaintain the same level at the Olympics as we played here," headded.

In the second match of the day, Cuba recovered from a slow start tobeat Italy 28-30, 25-18, 25-23 and 25-19 for their fourth win,finishing just behind Brazil in the Grand Prix Final Round.

"I am glad to win this match, but in the preliminary round welost against Italy so I think the result just depends on which teamplays that bit better on the day," said head coach AntonioPerdomo.

"Yesterday Brazil's serve worked very well and we could notplay our own game, but today we served well and covered the Italianteam. I think it is really good for us to fight in such ahigh-level game. "

Earlier on Sunday, the United States ended the 2008 FIVB WorldGrand Prix Final Round on a high note, outlasting China 25-23,25-19, 22-25, 21-25 and 17-15.

Sharing a 2-3 win-loss record with Italy, the Americans rankedfourth behind the Azzurre due to disadvantage in points win-lossratio.

"All the teams are very close right now and the result couldgo either way," said the United States' Chinese head coachLang Ping." We played well but we also had some luck today. Weneed to improve our level and reduce unforced errors and try toplay more consistently."

Roared on by 12,500 home fans, Japan fought bravely against Brazilto stay within 19-18 in the first set before the unbeaten SouthAmericans staged a 4-1 run to enlarge their lead to 23-19 thanks toa block of Walewska Oliveira and Sheilla Castro against MegumiKurihara and consecutive spiking mistakes of the Japanese.

After Kurihara came back for a smash to cut it to 23-20, PaulaPequeno made it 24-20. The tenacious Japanese staved off three setpoints to pull within 24-23, but a serve error of Kurihara awardedthe opener to Brazil. The story of the first set was cloned in thesecond. Again the Brazilians were 24-20 before two spikes ofKurihara and a block on Pequeno Trailing helped Japan make itone-point game. On their fourth set point, Fofao delivered the ballto the right side for Castro, who slammed home for the set winner.

In the third set, Brazil surged away from 17-15 and never lookedback. Castro led Brazil with 16 points and Pequeno and Steinbrecheradded 13 and 12 respectively.

"Compared with the Athens Olympics, in this competition theplayers could keep their motivation and we picked up many hints forcompeting in the Beijing Olympics," said Japan head coachShoichi Yanagimoto. "The time before the Beijing Olympics islimited, so we should check the problems we have come across inthis competition."

The first set of the match between Cuba and Italy was also fiercelycontested until the Italians opened up a three-point gap with aFrancesca Piccinini spike on the left for 19-16, forcing Cuba tocall the first TO of the match.

Kenia Carcaces continued to lead the Cuban reply, but there wasnothing the Cuban block could do to stop Serena Ortolani's smoothspike on the right for 21-18.

At this point, Santos exploded on the right for a couple of Cubanwinners, and now Italy went off for a TO hanging on to a one- pointlead, 21-20.

Trailing 23-21, a Cuban block on Ortolani and a Ruiz special fromthe left brought Cuba level 23-23, sending Italy into their secondTO.

In a tense finish to the first set, Italy took it 30-28 on theirfourth set point when Barazza blocked Barros at the center.

Cuba fought back strongly to take the second set 25-18 andcontinued the momentum in the third for a 16-10 cushion at thesecond TTO and held it to 24-21.

Italy withstood two set points to pull within 24-23, only to findDaimi Ramirez spike hard and at an angle that could not be saved towind up the set 25-23.

In the fourth set, the Italians went down more tamely.

"I think this is the right result of this match and of thistournament because Cuba has played better than Italy for all theFinal Round," said Italy head coach Massimo Barbolini at thepost match press conference. "For us, if we will finish thirdthis World Grand Prix will be very, very positive and important forthe experience for the players, and for me to see some situationsto improve against strong teams."

Ramirez made 15 kills in 17 attempts for 18 points to lead fiveCuba players in double scoring digits.

In the first match of the day, Tayyiba Haneef-Park scored game-high23 points to lift the United States over China in a five-setthriller.

After the two sides traded runs to tie it at 14-all in thetiebreak, Haneef-Park made it 15-14, but Xue struck again fordeuce, saving a second match point.

Again Haneef-Park brought up match point, and won it at the thirdattempt, 17-15.

"We are very excited to come out of our last game of thistournament with a win and playing with a lot of heart and fightbecause that is what we will need in the Olympics," saidAmerican setter Lindsey Berg. "Everybody on the teamcontributed and it is great when you can do that. We will take thisinto the Olympics and fight every match."

"In today's match our play was not stable, especially oursetters," said China head coach Chen Zhonghe. "Thecombination between the setter and attackers was not sosmooth."

"We could not follow up the one-touch ball. As a result ofthese mistakes we could not get the chance to win this match."