Tag: Final

Giannis, Greece beat Doncic-led Slovenia to reach final

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Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, rear, hugs Slovenia’s Luka Doncic ahead of a basketball match, during the Acropolis basketball tournament at the Peace and Friendship indoor stadium at Athens’ port city of Piraeus, Saturday, July 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Petros Giannak ouris)

An Olympics berth has eluded Giannis Antetokounmpo so far during his basketball career. He’s one more victory away from changing that.

Thomas Walkup had 19 points, Antetokounmpo added 13 points in 21 minutes and Greece moved one victory from the Paris Games, eliminating Luka Doncic and Slovenia 96-68 on Saturday from the semifinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament.

“Since coach (Vassilis) Spanoulis took this whole deal over, it’s been one goal and that’s to get to the Olympics,” Walkup said. “We’re one game away from it. We have to stay humble and focused.”

READ: Fiba OQT: Luka’s Slovenia, Giannis’ Greece meet in KO duel

Doncic finished with 21 points in the game in Piraeus, Greece, which marked first time the two NBA megastars faced one another while representing their senior national teams.

“They played way better than us. They were way more aggressive,” Doncic said. “I think they have an amazing team. Obviously, they have Giannis. But other pieces are very important for them, too. And they’re very well-coached. … They outplayed us today.”

The matchup was one of eight semifinals taking place to determine the last four berths in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Games.

Vasileios Toliopoulos added 14 points for Greece, which will meet Croatia on Sunday in the final of the Greece tournament, with the Paris Olympics berth going to the winner.

Other semifinal games took place Saturday at tournaments in Spain, Latvia and Puerto Rico.

Doncic, who played through injuries in the NBA Finals for the Dallas Mavericks in their five-game loss to the Boston Celtics, averaged 31 points in Slovenia’s first two qualifying games. But he came out flat on Saturday against Greece’s big front line.

READ: Antetokounmpo, Doncic shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

Slovenia was put on its heels early, as Greece scored the game’s first 13 points and took a 32-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Greece’s advantage grew as high as 23 points in the second quarter before Slovenia used a late flurry to cut it to 47-33 at the half.

Greece came out fast again in the third, using a 11-3 run to get some distance and carried a 16-point edge into the fourth quarter.

Slovenia shot just 43% (23 of 54) from the field for the game. That compared to 54% (34 of 70) for Greece, which also held a 38-25 rebounding edge.

Croatia 80, Dominican Republic 77

Ivica Zubac went 10 of 10 from the field and finished with 25 points and nine rebounds to help Croatia outlast the Dominican Republic in Greece’s second semifinals of the day.

Dario Saric and Jaleen Smith added 14 points apiece to put Croatia into Sunday’s final with Greece for a chance at making back to the Olympics for the first time since 2016.

Christopher Duarte finished with 17 points to lead the Dominican Republic.

The game featured 13 ties and six lead changes and was in doubt heading into the final seconds.

Trailing 78-74, the Dominican Republic’s Jean Montero got a steal and was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 3 seconds left by Croatia’s Smith.

Montero converted all three ensuing free throws to cut the deficit to a point.

The Dominican Republic quickly fouled Mario Hezonja, who connected on both of his ensuing free throws.

Duarte got a good look at a 3 at the buzzer, but his shot rimmed out.

Brazil 71, Philippines 60

In Riga, Latvia, Bruno Caboclo had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Brazil defeated the Philippines 71-60 to advance to the finals of that tournament.

Marcelinho Huertas added 13 points to help Brazil keep alive hopes of playing in its first Olympics since 2016.

The Brazilians will meet Latvia on Sunday in the finals of that tournament.

READ: Gilas’ Olympic dream ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil

Justin Brownlee finished with 15 points and eight rebounds to lead the Philippines, which shot just 38% from the field (24 of 64) for the game and had 15 turnovers.

The Philippines led 33-27 at halftime before Brazil opened the third quarter with a 14-0 run. It was part of a 24-6 quarter for Brazil, which took a 51-39 lead into the fourth.

It was more the same in the final period. The Philippines got as close as 53-46, before Brazil responded with an 8-0 run to help put the game away.

Latvia 72, Cameroon 59

In the second semifinal in Riga, Rihards Lomazs scored 20 points and Latvia withstood several late pushes to hold off Cameroon 72-59.

Rolands Smits added 13 points to help Latvia advance to Sunday’s final against Brazil, where it will be looking to earn its first Olympics appearance since 1936.

Latvia carried a 53-50 lead into the fourth quarter and started the final period with a 9-0 run.

Cameroon got within 65-59 with 2:14 remaining on a layup by Brice Eyaga Bidias. But Latvia was able to close the game out at the free throw line.

Williams Narace led Cameroon with 14 points.

Bahamas 89, Lebanon 72

In Valencia, Spain, Deandre Ayton had 24 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Bahamas past Lebanon 89-72.

Buddy Hield chipped in 19 points and 10 assists to help the Bahamas move within a win of making its first Olympics field. It will meet Spain in Sunday’s final.

The Bahamas led by as many as 20 in the first half.

Lebanon whittled that deficit down to 75-68 in the fourth quarter. But the Bahamas outscored Lebanon 14-4 over the final 3:50.

Sergio El Darwich led Lebanon with 22 points.

Spain 81, Finland 74

Willy Hernangomez scored 28 points and Spain rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Finland 81-74 in Valencia’s second semifinal of the day.

Lorenzo Brown and Santiago Aldama added 15 points apiece to send Spain into Sunday’s final against the Bahamas. Spain will be seeking a seventh consecutive Olympic berth.

Andre Gustavson had 15 points for Finland, which hasn’t gotten to the Olympics since 1964.

There were three lead changes during a furious final 10 minutes.

Finland carried a 59-56 lead into the period and took its final lead at 66-64 on a 3-pointer by Elias Valtonen. But Spain outscored Finland 18-8 the rest of way.

Lithuania 88, Italy 64

Marius Grigonis scored 23 points, including six 3-pointers, the help Lithuania ease past Italy 88-64 and to advance to the finals of the San Juan, Puerto Rico tournament.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas added 14 points to keep Lithuania on track to qualify for its first Olympic tournament since 2016. It will meet Puerto Rico on Sunday.

Lithuania blew the game open with a 21-4 run that began in the second quarter and lasted into the third as it opened a 59-40 lead.

Danilo Gallinari led Italy with 15 points.

Puerto Rico 98, Mexico 78

Tremont Watter had 24 points to help host Puerto Rico roll into Sunday’s final with a 98-78 win over Mexico.



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Jordan Howard finished with 20 to give Puerto Rico a spot in Sunday’s final against Lithuania. Puerto Rico will be attempting to qualify for its first Olympics since 2004.

Seven of the last eight games between the teams had been decided by 10 points or less. It was tight again on Saturday before Puerto Rico pulled away in the second half, leading by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter.

Fabian Jaimes led Mexico with 20 points.

Czechia sets up Challenger Cup Final vs Puerto Rico for VNL spot

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Czechia celebrates a point against Vietnam during a FIVB Challenger Cup game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — A new Volleyball Nations League participant will debut next year as Czechia and Puerto Rico clash in the gold medal match of the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup on Sunday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Czechia sent Vietnam crashing with a dominant 25-19, 25-14, 25-19 win in the Challenger Cup knockout semifinal on Saturday.

Gabriela Orvosova poured in 16 points built on 13 kills, two aces, and a block to lead the collective effort of the Czechs, who drew contributions from Helena Havelkova and Ela Koulisiani scoring 13 and 11 points, respectively.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico reaches final for first time

“I’m really happy that we won it was a different style of volleyball [facing Vietnam] so we showed a team effort,” said Orvosova

Katerina Valkova dished out 21 excellent sets as Czechia outwitted Vietnam in spiking, 46-31, while Magdalena Jehlarova led their block party of 13 kills blocks with five to finish with 10 points.

Czechia and Puerto Rico have yet to play in the VNL. They fight for the lone ticket at 6:30 p.m.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Czechia sweeps Argentina for semis berth

“I hope we’re gonna play the same volleyball as today like enjoy the game and play as a team. We will see how will it be, we will do video [scouting before the game],” Magdalena Bukovska said.

Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen, who erupted for 30 points to eliminate Alas Pilipinas in the quarterfinal, was limited to just 12 points on 12-of-33 attacking clip. Trần Thị Thanh Thúy contributed nine points.

Vietnam, which swept the AVC Challenge Cup, plays in the bronze medal match against Belgium at 3 p.m. on Sunday.



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Puerto Rico reaches final for first time

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Puerto Rico celebrates after beating Belgium in the semifinals of the FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup.-MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Puerto Rico finally earned a shot at the gold of the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Challenger Cup (VCC) after sweeping Belgium, 25-19, 25-15, 25-16, in the knockout semifinal on Saturday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium,

After settling for bronze in 2018 and 2022, the new breed of Puerto Ricans made their first VCC final, inching a win closer to its maiden Volleyball Nations League appearance next year as they take on the winner of the Czechia-Vietnam semis game later on the day.

Paola Santiago and Grace Lopez carried the cudgels of Puerto Rico with 11 and 10 points, respectively, to pounce on the undermanned Belgium, which missed stars Britt Herbots and Silke Van Avermaet.

READ: FIVB Challenger Cup: Puerto Rico ousts Kenya, advances to semis

“It feels great. We’ve been working all summer for this and now we’re prepared for tomorrow that’s the final,” said the 18-year-old Lopez, who has been sensational in the VCC Manila ahead of their final game on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

Lopez, who had nine digs, believed their floor defense, service, and attack as they outplayed the Belgians with a 41-26 spiking disparity were the key to their success.

“We were locked in since the beginning. We had good serves, good defense, good attacks, and I think that’s what made us get the win,” she said.

Stephanie Rivera chipped in seven points and 11 digs, while setter Wilmarie Rivera had 15 excellent sets and 17 digs on top of two points.

No one from Belgium scored in double figures with Pauline Martin leading the way with nine points as they committed a total of 28 errors.

Belgium eyes a bronze medal against the loser of the other semis pairing.



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Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon, shot at Group A spot

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Gilas Pilipinas girls’ Ava Fajardo during a Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup Division B game against Samoa. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas girls set up final vs Lebanon—and a shot at Group A spot Gilas Pilipinas moved to the doorstep of promotion in the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup on Saturday following a 71-47 rout of Samoa.

And with the way the young Nationals performed, coach Julie Amos couldn’t ask for more.

“[That] was a game to remember—the team showed so much character until the end of the buzzer. Everyone was into it,” the national mentor messaged the Inquirer on the heels of the rout at Futian Sports Park in Shenzhen, China, that had the Philippines reaching the you-or-me finalé of the tournament.

Amos knows the zest and poise her charges showed in the semifinal are just what they need when they battle Lebanon 2 p.m. on Sunday for a passage to the continental showcase’s topflight division.

The Philippines showed it could smoothen the creases in its game quickly and find another gear for a strong finishing kick in that conquest of Samoa.

After a lethargic second period, the Gilas girls cranked things up in the final half, scoring nearly thrice as much as the enemy in the final period, 22-8.

Ava Fajardo, an integral cog of Gilas’ U16 campaign last year, was at the forefront of the Philippines attack with 19 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

“[W]e had a great mentality and I think that’s what came out in the game, everyone went in, and we all made the most of our minutes, all of our work was out on the floor in that game,” she said.

Naomi Panganiban added 12 points, five rebounds and four steals while birthday girl Sophia Canindo and Alicia Villanueva chipped in 11 points each in a collective effort that had Amos singing praises.

Saturday’s win eased the heartaches off a botched bid in India two years ago, when the Philippines—which dismantled opponents left and right early in the tournament—faltered late against eventual champion Malaysia and missed out on a chance to join continental powerhouses China, Australia and Japan in Division A.

But Amos also knows that this year’s run is far from done.

“We hope to continue doing the work as a team,” the longtime member of the Gilas women coaching staff said. “[W]e’ll prepare even harder. The mission is not done yet.”

Men’s team update

There is reason to hope that the mission will be successful: The Filipinos dismantled Lebanon in the group stage, 89-63, behind Panganiban’s 25 points.

Over at the other side of the globe, the men’s team took on World No. 15 Poland hoping to apply the finishing touches on its preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT). The Nationals, who refused to feel good after a narrow loss to higher-ranked Turkiye last Friday, played against a Polish side also plotting and priming for the OQT.

The White and Red, led by San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan, are bunched in Group B of the other OQT that will be played in Valencia, Spain.

Meanwhile, the Latvians finally tasted defeat in their own series of test games, stumbling against Finland, 90-84, going 1-1 ahead of hosting Gilas on their home turf this July 2.



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Georgia, on the other hand, finally tabbed its first win in its string of friendlies after crushing Egypt, 78-46. The Crusaders, who wrapped their preps with a 1-3 win-loss record, are also slotted with Gilas in Group A of the Riga OQT.

France secures Final Eight slot with win over Brazil

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Theo Faure and France celebrate during a game against Brazil at the VNL in Manila.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Before defending its crown at home in the 2024 Paris Olympics, France eked out a nail-biting 25-23, 27-29, 25-13, 25-19, 18-16 win over Brazil to cap its Manila stint in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The French Spikers pulled the rug from a 1-2 deficit and recovered from a 12-point beatdown in the third set as Theo Faure fired 29 points off 25 attacks, three aces, and a block to secure their spot in the Final Eight in Poland with an 8-4 record.

France coach Andrea Giani got a crucial successful challenge in the fifth set when Adriano Fernandes brought Brazil at match point, 14-13, but was deemed as net touch, bringing the advantage on their side. 

READ: VNL 2024: Yuki Ishikawa, Japan rally past Olympic champion France

However, France committed two crucial service errors before Lucarelli Souza forced a deuce anew at 16-all. Faure sent the French anew at match point before Quentin Jouffroy drilled the game-winning ace to complete the come-from-behind win.

Giani relished his second Manila leg in the past three VNL hosting of the Philippines, as his wards split their four matches, bouncing back from a five-set meltdown to Japan on Saturday.

“It’s the second time for me, and this gym is fantastic. For the fans, it’s perfect because many people, many fans, and this volleyball is a show. It’s important the player and the team used this because it’s a show, and we need to put in the best every time,” France’s coach said.

Although they will be playing in the Final Eight, Giani and his team stressed the importance of defending their Olympic title at home. 

READ: VNL 2024: France halts Iran streak to boost Final Eight push

“The VNL [is] too competitive. The first preparation for the Olympic Games. It’s important for the team to play against a big team. Every match we need to try to win and improve the level and quality,” he said. “I’m very happy because of this tournament, the starting six and the second lineup, they played against great teams here.”

Kevin Tillie also stepped up for France with 14 points, while Jouffroy and Yacine Loati added eight points each.

Brazil, which drew inspiration from Bruno Rezende’s return from injury, seeing limited action, only won a game in Manila, sliding to a 6-6 card,

Souza led the Brazilians with 18 points. Alan Souza had 15 points, while Fernandez and Flavio Resende added 11 and 10 points, respectively.



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With Final 8 chances slim, Team USA turns focus to Olympics

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Team USA’s Micah Christenson in the VNL Week 3 in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — USA skipper Micah Christenson has accepted they won’t make it to the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Final Eight despite the slim chance, but he looks to make the most of their Manila experience to entertain Filipinos and prepare for the Paris Olympics 2024.

Christenson had a playmaking masterpiece of 41 excellent sets to treat the Filipino fans with USA’s 25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-9 win over Brazil on Thursday evening at Mall of Asia Arena.

The veteran setter, who is averaging 30.7 excellent sets per game in the VNL, gave his best effort to greet and sign autographs of their supporters at the fan zone after their game.

READ: VNL 2024: Team USA overcomes Brazil for first win in Manila

“Back in the United States, we play in certain areas where other teams’ fans fill the gym a little bit more. So, this feels like a pretty true home game for us and we’re very grateful for that,” said Christenson, whose teammates also felt at home with the hospitality and energy of the Filipinos.

“I can’t say enough about the support. We felt it a lot, even being here in the Philippines. So now we’re finally here, and we get to feel it in the stadium, it’s something really really special and we can’t say enough about it. We can’t thank the fans enough for being here and supporting us.”

USA, the runner-up of last year’s VNL, still has a chance to the Final Eight with a 4-6 record in 11th place but Christenson is already shifting their focus to the Olympics.

READ: Team USA has ‘mountain to climb’ as VNL unfolds in Manila

“We’re probably not gonna make the VNL Finals so what we’re gonna do is try to build and work our way towards the Olympic Games and getting ready. Tonight was just the first step, the first building block,” said Christenson. “Hopefully, for these next two games, we continue to get just a little bit better.”

“We can do a little bit more in certain phases of the game but we’re having that mindset of just getting a little bit better and trusting the process with the building blocks that we can build,” he added. 

USA wraps up its VNL campaign against Germany on Saturday at 11 a.m., before facing fellow crowd-favorite Japan on Sunday at 7 p.m.



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“I think we’ve shown over the years that we are a very resilient team. We know how to respond to a lot of difficult situations so, we’re gonna fix a few things, but at the same time, we’re gonna trust our process,” Christenson said. “I think, like I said before, it’s a step in the right direction. It’s not perfect, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

France halts Iran streak to boost Final Eight push

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Team France celebrates a win during VNL 2024 Week 3 game in Manila. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Jean Patry led France’s bounce-back win to send Iran crashing back to earth,  25-21, 25-17, 25-20, in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Following a tough loss to Germany two days ago, Patry dropped 16 points off 13 attacks, two blocks, and an ace as the French Spikers rose to the fourth seed with a 7-3 record and solidified their Final Eight chances. 

“It was important for us to play a good game today after one day’s rest. It was important to find a new victory and continue to work for our goal to go in the Finals. We are happy, it was a great match and we worked well,”  said Patry, who also enjoyed the energy of the Filipino fans.

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

“The Philippine fans are amazing. They are here, they like the atmosphere. They like to be in the match, they like to support, so the fans are amazing.”

Trevor Clevenot also delivered the goods for France with 12 points, while Yacine Louati added nine points.

“It was important, I think, for our confidence. It’s important after you lose to [get a] win, I think we played a good game,” Clevenot said. “The most important is three points always and we’re happy to win and we have to focus now on the next game, it will be a really difficult game so, this is the point.”

READ: VNL 2024: Germany beats France, stays in Final Eight hunt

France battles crowd darling Japan on Saturday evening at 7 p.m.

Iran’s two-game winning streak in its third straight game as Milad Ebadipour was the lone double-digit scorer with 10 points, as Amin Esmaeilnezhad, who erupted for 29 points in their win over the Netherlands, was limited to just seven points.

Iran, which slid to a 2-9 card, will wrap up its VNL campaign against Germany on Sunday at 11 a.m.



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Germany beats France, stays in Final Eight hunt

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Gyorgy Grozer of Germany during a game against France in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 in Manila.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — György Grozer stepped up for Germany with 21 points to stun France, 25-23, 25-27, 25-20, 25-23, to keep their Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Final Eight bid on track on Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

The 39-year-old Grozer, who wasn’t part of last year’s Germany team in the VNL to focus on the Olympic qualifier, continued to prove that age is just a number as he led a balanced attack to beat contender France and improve to a 4-5 record for ninth place behind No. 8 Cuba (4-4).

“For me, this is my first game after a long time for the season to finish so of course, I have my mistakes still and it’s not going around but we are working on [it],” said Grozer after pounding 18 kills, two aces, and a block. 

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

“I think today we did already really great things like [in] the team. We were fighting. In important moments we didn’t put down our heads, we stayed strong and we were fighting against really really strong team so I am glad that we won today.”

It’s Grozer’s first time to play in the Philippines and he’s loving the experience, playing in front of an ecstatic crowd.

“It was really great. I was really surprised and happy that we had so many fans today here and I mean, two different teams played [today] like France and Germany and there’s a great atmosphere in the gym,” said Grozer, who retired twice from volleyball in 2016 and 2020 but still decided to keep on playing. “I was really enjoying and thanks to all the Filipino fans who are supporting us and pushing us. It’s really great to play here in the Philippines.”

The Germans prevented the French from forcing a decider after fighting back from a 19-21 deficit in the fourth set. Lukas Maase took charge to give Germany a 23-22 lead but his error tied the set anew. Moritz Reichert and Grozer delivered the finishing blows for their second straight win coming off a Week 2 win over Turkey.

READ: VNL set for Manila leg with Japan and USA headlining

Maase and Reichert delivered 12 points each. Tobias Krick and Tobias Brand added 10 points, as setter Lukas Kampa’s playmaking led to five double-digit scorers.

Seeking to make it to the final week in Poland, Germany battles Canada in less than 24 hours on Thursday at 11 a.m.

France remained in fifth place with a 6-3 record tied with Japan as Jean Patry carried the team with 20 points off 17 attacks two blocks and an ace. Trevor Clevenot had 16 points to backstop Patry.

The French Spikers try to bounce back against Iran on Friday at 11 a.m.



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VNL 2024: Brazil fends off Netherlands to boost Final Eight bid

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Brazil’s Darlan Ferreira Souza goes for a hit against the Netherlands defenders in a VNL 2024 Week 3 game at Mall of Asia Arena. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

VNL 2024 SCHEDULE: Week 3 Manila, Philippines leg

MANILA, Philippines — Brazil overcame a slow start and the 38-point explosion of Nimir Abdel-Aziz for the Netherlands, 24-26, 25-23, 31-29, 25-20, to solidify its chances for the Final Eight in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Week 3 on Tuesday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Brazil leaned on a collective effort led by Darlan Souza to recover from a first-set loss, where it squandered a 23-21 lead, before getting its act together to improve to a 6-3 record in third place.

Souza powered the Brazilians with 26 points off 20 attacks, three blocks, and three aces to get the win over Abdel-Aziz, who drilled 33 kills and five aces for the Netherlands.

“We got a little nervous. The Netherlands played so well but we eventually managed to boost our pace and we’re happy to get the win,” Souza told reporters. “It’s always good when we get a win. It’s a boost in our morale and the matches are very hard so we have to stay focused with our [remaining] matchups.”

Brazil survived a tight third set, where it fought back from a 23-24 deficit before taking five set point advantages but Maarten Van Garderen’s kill tied the frame to 29-all.

However, Van Garderen missed his serve that brought back the Brazilians at set point, 30-29, before Flavio Resende delivered a big block on  Abdel-Aziz to take a 2-1 match advantage.

The Brazilians pulled away in the fourth set with an 18-13 spread and never looked back to win their first assignment in Manila before facing Team USA on Thursday at 7 p.m.

Lucas Saatkamp also stepped up for Brazil with 12 points including three blocks. Flavio delivered 11 points off five attacks and six blocks, while Lucarelli Souza and Leal Hidalgo added nine and eight points, respectively.

The Netherlands dropped to 13th place with a 3-6 card amid Abdel-Aziz’s big game. Van Garderen stepped up with 15 points as they battle Iran on Thursday.



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