In their final preparations for Thursday’s start of the FIVB World Grand Prix, Brazil swept Turkey 3-0 in a pair of friendlies in Istanbul. That bodes well for their chances as both teams shift to the capital Ankara to open their tournament.
Scores:
- July 3 – Brazil def. Turkey 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-9) (Full recap)
- July 4 – Brazil def. Turkey 3-0 (25-17, 26-24, 25-19) (Full recap)
In the first match, middle blocker Carol (Ana Carolina da Silva) led the team with 13 kills out of the central position.
“It was a good test,” Carol said after the match. “Turkey has a new team and they are starting to come together. The most important thing was that we managed to gain a rhythm of play against a quality team. It was also interesting because (coach) Zé Roberto put all of the players on the court during the five sets. We know we need to play as many games as possible before the start of the tournament.”
“The important thing is that all the players participated in the match and gained pace for the Grand Prix,” Roberto said. “We have a new group and we need them to play as many games as possible before our debut against Belgium. Tomorrow we will have another opportunity again against Turkey.”
In that second opportunity, Turkey played better and pushed the Brazilians harder, but the 3-0 result was the same. This time, it was the captain Natalia (Natalia Pereira) who led the team with 11 out of the opposite position.
“It was a good preparation for our team these two friendlies against Turkey. We have gained a rhythm of game, besides knowing another team that we are going to face in Ankara. The group was well as a whole. We still made some mistakes, but we are at a good level to start the Grand Prix, “said Natalia.
In both matches, the teams played 2 extra sets. Brazil won all but the 4th in the opener of those as well.
There were some clues, but no full answers, as to what lineup Brazil might be considering when the real matches start on Friday. Both liberos got one start each, as did Drussyla, Adenizia, Rosamaria, and Carol. Bia, Roberta, Tandara, and Natalia.
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