Argentina completed an unbeaten campaign at the South American Men’s Volleyball Cup by defeating Brazil 3-2 in a dramatic final in Cochabamba.
The Argentine side recovered from twice falling behind to win 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20, 15-10 at the José Casto Méndez Coliseum, bringing five days of continental competition to a close.
Brazil captain Maicon Dos Santos produced a match-high 24 points, but Argentina found the decisive edge in the fifth set. Iñaki Ramos led the champions with 23 points.
Colombia secured the bronze medal after beating Chile in straight sets, 25-23, 27-25, 25-22. Miguel Ángel Martínez “Armaranto” scored 20 points and ended the competition as its leading scorer with 97 points overall.
Hosts Bolivia took fifth place with a 3-1 victory over Venezuela. After losing the opening set 18-25, Bolivia responded with three consecutive wins, 25-22, 25-23 and 25-23. Pablo Choque contributed a match-high 19 points.
Peru finished seventh after defeating Paraguay 3-0 (25-18, 25-18, 25-17), with Leonel Despaigne scoring 11 points.
Argentina topped the final standings ahead of Brazil and Colombia, followed by Chile, Bolivia, Venezuela, Peru and Paraguay.