Minas end season with South American title

Just ten days after claiming their third-straight Brazilian Superliga title, Itambe Minas have lifted another trophy after the Belo Horizonte side won the 2022 South American Club Championship in Uberlandia, Brazil.

The reigning Brazilian champions won their sixth continental title in style, downing in-state rivals Dentil Praia Clube in five sets (25-22, 20-25, 16-25, 25-21, 15-13) to end their season on a high. Minas also won the 1999, 2000, 2018, 2019 and 2020 editions of the tournament.

It was the fifth time rivals Minas and Praia met in a final in the 2021-2022 club season. Praia won the first three encounters – at the 2021 South American Championship, the Mineiro Championship and the Brazilian Supercup – while Minas triumphed in the Brazilian Superliga and the 2022 South American Club Championship.

“I’m really happy because we had a very difficult path this season,” Tokyo Olympic silver medallist setter Macris Carneiro commented. “Now it all makes sense – it needed to be like this so we could figure out who we are as a team and be together in the difficult moments. I’m really grateful for that.”

As was also the case in the Superliga final, 22-year-old opposite Kisy Nascimento starred in the victory for Minas. The left-handed hitter was the top scorer of the match with 23 points (20 kills, three blocks), and also received the tournament’s MVP award.

Tokyo Olympic silver medallist and team captain Carol Gattaz produced 16 points (13 kills, three blocks) while fellow middle blocker and two-time Olympic champion Thaisa Menezes had 13 (eight kills, three blocks, two aces).

Dutch outside hitter Anne Buijs was Praia’s top scorer with 20 points (all in kills), followed by opposite Tainara Santos with 19 (18 kills, one block) and middle blocker Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva with 18 (ten blocks, seven kills, one ace).

The match also marked the end of a career for Beijing 2008 Olympic champion middle blocker Walewska Oliveira. The Praia captain retired from the sport at the age of 42 and received a standing ovation from the team’s supporters during the awarding ceremony.

The South American Club Championship reunited six teams from the continent for five days of competition in Uberlandia. Brazil’s SESI Volei Bauru finishing third, Peru’s Regatas Lima ranked fourth, Chile’s Boston Challenge took fifth place and Bolivia’s San Martin ended in sixth place.

South American Club Championship Dream Team

Setter: Macris Carneiro (Itambe Minas)

Opposite: Kisy Nascimento (Itambe Minas)

Outside hitters: Pri Daroit (Itambe Minas) and Anne Buijs (Dentil Praia Clube)

Middle blockers: Ana Carolina ‘Carol’ da Silva (Dentil Praia Clube) and Adenizia Ferreira (SESI Volei Bauru)

Libero: Leia Nicolosi (Itambe Minas)