The two-time women’s champion Brazil has again qualified for the semifinals of the Olympic Games. The team led by Ze Roberto managed to break and prevail over the team of the Russian Olympic Committee with 3-1 (23:25, 25:21, 25:19, 25:22) in the quarter-finals match of the women’s volleyball tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Thus, “Celesao” is again in the Olympic semifinals after London 2012, when they won their second title. Brazil enters the Top 4 of the Olympic Games for the 7th time in its last 8 appearances (since Barcelona in 1992). In the semifinals, Brazil expects the Republic of Korea, which earlier today defeated Turkey dramatically with a 3-2.
“It was an equal match. The Russians took a lot of risks on service. There was too much emotion and tension, but we played well as a team and I am happy that we managed to win”, said Fernanda Rodrigues Garay after the match.
The semifinal is on Friday (August 6). In the other semifinal match, the runner-up from Rio 2016 Serbia and the bronze medalist from 5 years ago the USA will face each other.
On the other hand, the Russian volleyball players dropped out of the phase of the quarter-finals of the 4th consecutive Olympic Games.
Gabriela Guimaraes was the most useful for Brazil with 18 points (1 block, 1 ace, 46% efficiency in attack, and 75% positive reception) for the victory. Carol Gattaz (3 blocks, 2 aces and 69% efficiency in attack) and the substitute Rosamaria Montibeller (6 blocks, 2 aces, and 38% efficiency in attack) added 16 points each for success.
For the Russians, the rising young star Arina Fedorovtseva scored 20 points (1 block, 1 ace, 46% efficiency in attack and 21% positive reception). Irina Voronkova scored another 18 points (1 block, 1 ace, 41% efficiency in attack, and 48% positive reception), but even that was not enough to win.
