Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro celebrate their win over Campones Minas Belo Horizonte which saw them through to the final of the 2017 Brazil Superleague.
Lausanne, Switzerland, April 15, 2017 - Order was restored in the Brazilian women's Superleague Friday night before 4,500 fans at Rio Arena, as defending champions Rexona Sesc Rio de Janeiro beat Camponesa Minas Belo Horizonte 3-1 (25-15, 26-24, 21-25, 25-20) to come back and claim their semifinals series 3-2 after trailing 1-2.
Rio will meet Volei Nestle Osasco in the single-match final of 23 April at Rio Arena in the city's Olympic Park, just a few weeks before the two sides travel to Japan for the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship, 9-14 May in Kobe.
Middle blocker Juciely Barreto with seven of her team's 18 stuffs and a total of 20 points (13/21 for 62% in attacking) powered Rio to the win and was voted MVP of the game. Drussyla Costa (who once again played in place of Anne Buijs) scored 18 points, as fatigue seemed to step in for Gabi Guimaraes (9 points) midway through the match.
USA's Destinee Hooker was top scorer of the game with 24 points for Minas, but the Belo Horizonte team gave away as many as 30 points on unforced errors.
Osasco, who have not won a Superleague title since they beat Rio in the 2012 final, had qualified to this year's final with a 3-0 sweep of their semifinal series against last year's finalists Dentil Praia Clube Uberlandia.
Rio will be seeking their fifth straight and 12th overall title. They have not been absent from a final since the club moved from Curitiba to Rio in 2005. Osasco have won the title five times overall.
Quick links - Volleyball:FIVB.com - VolleyballFIVB.com
Latest VideosFacebookTwitterInstagramMedia Guides