China Beat Brazil 3-2 to Qualify for Women's Volleyball World Semi-finals

Home>>Sports

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 12, 2002

China Beat Brazil 3-2 to Qualify for Women's Volleyball World Semi-finals

Pre-tournament favorites China defeated South American champions Brazil three sets to two here on Wednesday to qualify for the last four at the 2002 women's volleyball world championships.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Pre-tournament favorites China defeated South American champions Brazil three sets to two here on Wednesday to qualify for the last four at the 2002 women's volleyball world championships.

The set scores were 25-19, 21-25, 23-25, 25-15 and 15-9.

China and Brazil were meeting for the second time in the current championships. China had won over Brazil 3-1 in the preliminary pool clash in Leipzig.

In a match generally predicted to be a tight one, the young Brazilians who had been constantly improving during the tournament,managed to tie with the Chinese twice in the beginning of the first set. But the Chinese were soon in front when Brazil failed to break the well-organized Chinese blocking. China led from 16-13 at the first technical time-out and never look back to take theset 25-19.

Brazil obviously wished to take any chance on Asia's two times world champions, who had lost to Greece in the first round and to South Korea in the second. The second set went the Chinese way inthe first phase of the set before the two sides tied exchanged lead to tie nine times from 10-10 up to 20-20. With improved attacking, the south American champions went ahead to take the set25-21.

The determined Chinese side of head coach Chen Zhonghe came back for an early 4-1 lead in the third set. Brazil caught up to tie with China at 4-4 and 5-5 before China leading 8-6 at the first technical time-out. The scores were leveled three more times to see the Brazilians ahead at 16-13. Improved attacks helped Brazil in front at 21-17. The Chinese failed to block the high-leaping Brazilian attacks and lost the set by two points, at 25-23.

Brazil, who, in spite of their earlier defeats to China and the United States, had been predicted by court-side experts as being capable of pulling off a victory against the Asian champions.

With two sets to their credit, Brazil were eager to make it 3-1on set scores in their favor. But the Asians won't let the game to easily in their opponents' way as they evened the scores and managed a 16-9 lead at the second technical time-out. A technical fault by Brazilian coach Marco Motta when asking for substitution and a consequent yellow card handed down on him seemed to dishearten his side. The Brazilians made consecutive errors the Chinese took one set back at 25-15, leveling the sets at 2-2.

The Chinese came back vigorously in the tie-breaker set, leading 3-0 early and 8-6 when the two sides exchanges courts. After the scores tied for two times early, the Chinese led 8-6 before the exchange of courts. Although the South Americans to win some points in the closing stage but that was far not enough to stop the Chinese advance to a 15-9 set win and match victory.

Brazilian Paula Pequeno was the top scorer with 18 points.

Questions?Comments? Click here

China Sure of Quarter-final Berth at Women's Volleyball World Championships

South Korea Beats China, into Last Eight of Women's Volleyball Worlds

China Wins Asian Youth Women's Volleyball Championship

Japanese Court Dismisses Germ Warfare Victims' Damages Claim ( 94 Messages)

China Plans to Stop the Overeas Flight of Corrupt Officials ( 69 Messages)

China Blocks the Way of Corrupt Officials Fleeing Overseas ( 5 Messages)

Survey Discloses Bad Service of Domestic Banks ( 4 Messages)

Quantitative Study Uncovers US Media Blackout: China Youth Daily ( 25 Messages)