Brazil continues with success on the second day - 2011 CSV Continental Cup: Women
After making a clean sweep on the opening day of 2011 CSV Continental Women’s Beach Volleyball Cup, the Brazilian volleyball squad carried the momentum into the second day and amazed the audience with another incredible show of beach volleyball. The Olympic
qualification tournament for South American countries formally took centre stage on Wednesday, December 7, in Guatape, Colombia and entered the second day on Thursday.
Brazilian tandems of Camila Bertozzi/Isabela Maio and Livia Mendonca/Thais Ferreira clinched success in their respective matches on Day-2 and bagged seven points. Hence, Brazil reached 15 points and held the top slot. Argentina and Venezuela followed up
with 13 and 12 points, while host Colombia held fourth position with 11 points. The underdog Uruguay remained fifth in ranking with a total of nine points.
Brazil opened the day with straight-set win over Uruguay. The dynamic duo of Camila Bertozzi and Isabela Maio, labeled as Brazil 1, descended on to the court with firm ambitions of victory. They dominated Lucia Guigou and Fabiana Gomes of Uruguay and finished
the match 2-0 (21-14, 21-18).
In the next game, the second team of Brazil went up against a Argentinean pair. Brazil 2 was composed of Livia Mendonca and Thais Ferreira, while Ana Gallay and Virginia Zonta played for Argentina. The former team proved to be better in every aspect of the
game as they displayed better digging and had the advantage of a strong offense. The first set was easily won by Brazil (21-14) but Argentinean team offered a bit of resistance in the second set. Nonetheless, Brazil secured a second set 21-19 and claimed match
victory.
Later in the day, a match between Brazil 1 and Argentina 1 created a lot of buzz. Camila Bertozzi and Isabela Maio went against Argentina’s Ana Gallay and Virginia Zonta. Argentinean tandem fought bravely in the first frame and dismissed Brazil by sending
21-18 on board. Brazil hit back aggressively in the following set and covered the deficit by winning the second set, 21-19. Game entered the 15-point golden set, which served as the real test of skills for both teams. Brazilians remained remarkably consistent
and captured third set, 15-8. Good defence and attack strategy allowed Brazil to win third match of the day.
"It was our toughest game so far in the Continental Cup,” Maio admitted. “The Argentines are very skilled and we were not playing at our best in the first set. But in the second set we were more aggressive and were able to take the match to a tiebreak set.
In the tiebreaker, it’s short, so the team that makes fewer errors wins.”
Brazil’s Livia and Thais posted 2-0 (21-17, 21-14) win over Vera and Rodriguez of Venezuela in fourth match and finished the day with 4-0 record. Brazil had to bear the loss of one set and earned seven points but still stood on top of list in rankings with
15 points.
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