BRA M: When two title contenders collide, nothing less is expected – Taubaté prevail in 2-hour battle vs. Cruzeiro

Taubate vs. Cruzeiro

In a two-hour battle, and nothing else was expected from these two powerhouses, Taubaté threw defending champions Cruzeiro on their knees in the tie-break, inflicting them the first defeat in five games in the 2017/18 Superliga, a 12 games in total counting the last season as well. Taubaté also became the only club to beat Cruzeiro over the last year. The first time they did it was on March 9 and the second time was last night.

Both teams had a huge blocking display: Taubaté 15 kill blocks (Otávio Pinto 5), Cruzeiro 18 kill blocks (Isac Santos 5). Offensively, the winning side was more diverse, having five players at double digits in points, led by the Brazilian National Team duo Wallace Souza – Ricardo Lucarelli who both notched 15 points. In Cruzeiro, who committed an unusually large number of errors (44), the Cuban Yoandy Leal made 21 points.

It was the last-round game of Superliga of the first part of the season, which was scheduled for mid-December, but Cruzeiro played it now since, at that time, they will be engaged in the 2017 FIVB Club World Championship in Poland.

BRA National Championship 2017/2018 / Male / Seniors

REGULAR SEASON / 11TH ROUND

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