Brazil leveraged their strong blocking game, highlighted by 17 kill blocks, to overcome a sensational 33-point performance from France`s Helena Cazaute in a thrilling five-set Volleyball Nations League match.
In the opening match of Thursday`s Women`s Volleyball Nations League action in Chiba, Japan, Brazil narrowly avoided a major upset bid from France. Fueled by an impressive defensive performance, particularly in blocking, Brazil secured a hard-fought five-set victory. This win improves the South American team`s record to 9-1 with 25 points, elevating them to second place in the VNL standings. France earned a point from the match, but their path to qualifying for the Finals remains uncertain as they currently sit in 11th place with a 3-7 record and 11 points.
Brazil demonstrated resilience by twice coming back from a set deficit, pushing the match to a decisive fifth set. Middle blocker Diana Alecrim was instrumental, contributing nine of Brazil`s total 17 kill blocks. Her crucial defense tipped the scales towards the 3-2 victory (23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11). Notably, Diana initiated the tie-breaker with three consecutive blocks, giving Brazil an early 3-0 lead that France couldn`t overcome.
Complementing Diana, Brazil`s other middle blocker, 22-year-old Julia Kudiess, also had a strong outing. She added six kill blocks and showcased efficiency in attack with a 61% success rate, leading the team in scoring with 17 points. Diana finished with 14 points, while star outside hitter and captain Gabriela Guimaraes (Gabi) contributed 13 points. For France, Helena Cazaute was outstanding, leading all scorers with 33 points, including two aces, in their determined effort to secure an upset. Opposite Iman Ndiaye also made a significant contribution for France with 19 points, tallying three aces and a block.
“Of course, we know that we didn’t play our best today. France, of course, played a really good match, especially Cazaute. We couldn’t find her with block and defense. But the team fought and that’s the most important. We were losing 2-1, but we didn’t give up. Still, we cannot play this kind of matches, with so many mistakes, and in some moments of the match we did not serve well. So there is a lot to improve and we are going to work on it,” Gabi told VBTV. “But this is Brazilian spirit – never give up and always fight for every ball.”
Thursday`s VNL schedule continues with an ongoing all-Asian match between Korea and Japan in Chiba. Later, Italy and Serbia are set to begin their competition day in Apeldoorn, Netherlands, at 17:00 local time (15:00 UTC).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick