The top-seeded women’s duo of Juliana Felisberta Silva and Larissa Franca from Brazil are making waves on the home courts. They are on the verge of making another record of winning the maximum stages of the Brazilian circuit. Most
recently they demonstrated their wonderful skills in the game while playing at the Buzios stage of the Brazilian Circuit. The invincible pairing of Juliana and Larissa have clinched the most number of titles in the 2010 season of the SWATCH FIVB World Tour.
The Buzios Stage is the last beach volleyball tournament of the year in Brazil. The phenomenal duo of Juliana and Larissa played two matches on Saturday, the 27th November. They stamped their authority on the competitors
and clinched success in both matches.
Review of the first match
In the first match on Saturday, Juliana/Larissa were up against Angela/Val and won the battle in two straight sets. The duo opened the match with strong serves and easily picked up an early lead. Juliana’s spiking magic took the
game by storm. Likewise, her teammate Larissa played a vital role in perfectly complimenting Juliana. Their opponents were not exactly pushovers as they too were gunning for a win. Angela was very quick on the sand, floating her hands to block the quick spikes
and save points. Moreover, the successful attack attempts of Val supported their score. They remained at a close difference of points from Juliana/Larissa.
The spectators thoroughly enjoyed the excellent play. After the first technical timeout, the game picked up more pace. Juliana/Larissa started the heavy strike of volleys and put the rival side under pressure. The hard work paid
off and they secured the first set by posting an 18-15 victory over Angela/Val.
After dropping the first set, the duo of Angela/Val put up a great fight in the next set. They traded their places regularly and followed a different approach, in order to survive the hard-hitting of other team. However, Juliana
and Larissa had had their warm up, and they brought their A-game, becoming unstoppable. The heavy spiking coupled with amazing cut shots enabled them to raise the score. Angela/Val tried their best to resist but couldn’t stop them from scoring. The second
set also went to Juliana/Larissa and they closed the set at 22-20. The victory advanced Juliana/Larissa to the semi-finals.
Review of second match
In the next match on the same day, Juliana/Larissa came across their compatriots, Taiana and Pricilla Lima. The pumped up duo of Juliana and Larissa carried on their form to the next match as well. Taiana/Pricilla did not start
the match on a good note. The service errors in the early phase of the game provided a perfect opportunity for Juliana/Larissa to take the lead. Pricilla took a long run to serve the ball but she misjudged the length and the ball landed outside the end-line.
Pricilla was disgusted with her move, while Taiana looked on disappointed. Juliana and Larissa played a sensible game and took full advantage of their opponents’ mistakes. It helped their score and they clawed their way to victory in the first set. They built
a score of 18-11 and claimed the set.
The second set was quite similar to the previous set. Juliana and Larissa promptly moved up with better points. Nonetheless, Taiana/Pricilla worked out nice under hand shots and attacked with full strength. They were able to raise
their score but it didn’t scare Juliana and Larissa. Luck graced Juliana/Larissa once again and they finished the set with a 2-point lead (18-16).
Juliana and Larissa will be facing Maria Clara and Carolina in the finals on Sunday.
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