Canada Brasil
Gord Perrin added 21 points for the victors and Fred Winters 12. For Brazil, Wallace de Souza was the top attacker with 17 and Amaral Dante added 12. Brazil’s record dropped to 0-2 after two five-set losses. Canada is now 2-0.
In the first set, the Canadians capitalized on five attack errors by the Brazilians to grab an 8-2 lead at the first technical timeout. Amaral Dante served for four straight points, including two aces, to bring Brazil back in the match. The Canadians responded on a five-point run of their own, highlighted by two kills and a block by Winters, to grab a 19-12 lead. It was too much for the Brazilians to make up.
The Brazilians made sure they didn’t fall behind in the second set and led pretty much from start to finish. For the second set in a row, Wallace and Dante each scored five points and the Brazilians were less sloppy, with only two unforced errors compared to 10 in the first set.
Canada bounced back with a brilliant third set marked by two impressive scoring runs. Winters and Schmitt combined for kills to take Canada from 5-6 to 10-7. Then, late in the set, two blocks by Steve Brinkman, a veteran of 200-plus international matches, put Canada up 21-17. Wallace had another productive set for Brazil with six more points.
In the fourth set, Brazil coach Bernardo Rezende fielded some young guns, resting high scorers Wallace and Dante. Two consecutive blocking points by Brinkman tied the match at 18-18 and with Brazil up 24-22, a Perrin kill and a Brazil attack error sent the match to extra points. Rodrigo scored a big kill to put Brazil ahead and a smash by Perrin went wide right to send the match to a decisive set.
In the fifth set, Schmitt went on a rampage, scoring Canada’s first five points to put the home team in front 5-3. Two consecutive kills near the end all but sealed the win.
Canada faces Poland on Sunday, while Brazil will meet Finland.
