After overcoming the quarterfinals, the teams will play for the title in the Final Phase at the end of February
Published 03:00, 25 Jan 2026
Júlia Kudiess and Hilary Johnson were key pieces in Minas' victory over Maringá (Photo: Hedgard Moraes/MTC)
Gerdau Minas, Dentil Praia Clube, Osasco São Cristovão Saúde and SESC RJ Flamengo are the semifinalists of the 2026 edition of the Women's Brazilian Cup.
The four teams made their homecourt advantage count and won their quarterfinal matches between Friday and Saturday, earning the right to compete in the tournament's Final Four, which will be held in Londrina on February 27 and 28. Minas will play Praia in one of the semifinals, with Osasco and Flamengo meeting on the other.
Three-time Brazilian Cup winners had a strong showing against Sancor Maringá Vôlei on Sunday, dominating from the first serve to secure a 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-17) victory.
Canadian national team outside hitter Hilary Johnson carried Minas offensively with 18 points (11 kills, five blocks, two aces), while middle blocker Júlia Kudiess, the match MVP, and Thaisa Menezes did solid work at the net, each adding ten points to Minas' efforts.
"I'm happy with the result," Júlia said. "We did great teamwork, and I think that showed in our game. I was feeling more confident with my service today, and I thought our defense was very good. Now we need to keep using these weapons in the rest of the season."
A few hours later, Praia hosted SESI Vôlei Bauru in Uberlândia and was slightly better in each of the three sets, producing a sweep (25-23, 25-23, 27-25) to move forward.
The match MVP, American outside hitter Payton Caffrey was also Praia's top scorer, leaving the court with 17 points (15 kills, two blocks), two more than her compatriot and team opposite Morgahn Fingall.
"We had to work really hard to get this win," Caffrey reflected. "We were coming from a very difficult match against Flamengo in the Superliga, and I think we learned our lessons from it. We managed to fix the errors we had in that match, and our bench again added a lot to our game. This was a very important match, and I'm proud of the team because of how much work we put in coming into it."
Defending champions Osasco and Superliga leaders Flamengo earned their spots on Friday, when the first two quarterfinal matches were held. FIVB Club World Championship bronze medalists Osasco had to play five sets in front of their home fans to overcome Fluminense 3-2 (25-17, 18-25, 22-25, 25-18, 15-12).
Opposite Tiffany Abreu delivered 18 points (16 kills, two blocks) off the bench and earned the match's MVP award. American outside hitter Caitie Baird scored 23 points (20 kills, two blocks, one ace) and came up one short of matching the production of Fluminense's opposite Ariane Pinto.
"This was a true team win," Tiffany said. "In big matches like this, only playing good volleyball is not enough. You have to be brave and play with your heart, and that's what we did. We also need to thank our fans, who were incredible tonight."
Playing in Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo needed less time and effort to sweep (25-15, 25-16, 25-21) Paulistano Barueri and progress.
Young libero Victoria Stadler had a key role in Flamengo's victory, stepping up to replace team captain Laís Vasques, who missed the match due to an injury, and earning the MVP award after producing 16 passes and eight digs. Olympic medalist opposite Tainara Santos was Flamengo's main scorer with 15 points (12 kills, two aces, one block).
"We studied their game a lot and entered the match very confident," Victoria highlighted. "Our level dropped a little bit in the third set, but we regrouped and got back to win it. Laís is one of the best in the country, and replacing her is not easy. But we have a very good group, and everyone gave me confidence."
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