Brazil boasts, at least on paper, the best starting OH duo in the WCH. However, reality is a little different. Natália Zilio has just returned to the courts after 8 months recovering from injury, while Fernanda Garay came back from retirement from the NT to participate in the WCH just weeks before it started. While Natália has only debuted at the end of the first round, Fernanda has been with the team all the way, being the squad’s 2nd highest scorer in the tournament so far. She knows though, that she is far from her best, and that if Brazil is to have any chance at making it to the podium, she’ll need to improve a lot (Globo.com):
“I am very self critical. I’m far from satisfied. I know the greatness of this championship. I believe, of course, that I gained a little rhythm so far, but for me it was very important to be able to play more. I’m still far from being 100% or at my best. That is my challenge. I knew that time would be against me. I need to try my best to win at all times. I am an outside hitter so I need to improve on everything. It sounds kind of repetitive, but it’s not demagoguery when I say I need to be good on every fundamental. If I am failing in the pass, the opponent will always sever on on me. If I fail the serve, I will hinder my team. I am always focused on assisting in attack, block and defense. All the basics. Because my position needs this.”
Brazil will start its second round campaign against Germany on September 7th. In their last encounter, back in the NVL, Brazil lost the game, but Fernanda was not with the team at the time:
“From the first game we said that our goal, of course, besides winning, was that everyone would gain a little rhythm. Everyone has had the opportunity to play a little and, for us, this is very important. We know that the next phase will be much more difficult. And we need to count on everyone. It’s hard to say much about our next game, I have not seen Germany play yet. But now that we have finished the first phase, we will focus on Germany, prepare ourselves, look at it and study so we will not be surprised.”
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