Thaisa and Martinez back with Minas and Praia ahead of Superliga playoffs

Guaranteed places as the first and second-seeded teams for the playoffs of the Brazilian Women’s Superliga, Dentil Praia Clube and Itambe Minas welcomed a pair of key players back to their lineups in the tournament’s mid-week round.

The reigning South American champions Praia celebrated the return of Dominican opposite Brayelin Martinez. The 25-year-old Olympian was sidelined since the end of January due to a shoulder injury.

The MVP of the 2019 NORCECA Championship returned to the team in great form as she led all scorers with 15 points (14 kills, one ace) in Praia’s 3-0 (25-11, 25-16, 25-20) mid-week victory over Curitiba Volei. The result secured the team the top seed in the playoffs on 55 points (19 wins, two losses).

Minas, on the other hand, claimed the regular season's second place with 52 points (17 wins, four losses) and a 3-1 (25-11, 29-27, 16-25, 25-20) triumph over Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude.

The match marked the return of middle blocker Thaisa Menezes to the team’s starting lineup. The two-time Olympic champion had come off the bench on Friday, when Minas lost to SESI Volei Bauru on the road, but was yet to play a full match since she injured her right leg during last year’s FIVB Volleyball Women’s Club World Championship.

Against Osasco, she not only played the entire match but also was the team’s second-best scorer with 13 points (seven kills, six blocks). Selected as the Player of the Match, the 34-year-old middle blocker handed the trophy to Minas’ physiotherapist Bruna Melato, who helped her through the recovery process.

“She was by my side the entire time, has given me a lot of strength and did a fantastic job, so the least I could do was give her the trophy,” Thaisa said. “I hadn’t played in a while and it’s difficult to get in rhythm with the team, but my teammates and the coaching staff helped me a lot. It wasn’t easy to return, but it’s great to play at a high level again and to return with a victory against a strong team like Osasco.”

The Superliga regular season still features one round before the start of the playoffs to be played on March 18. The top eight teams will advance to the final round - joining Praia and Minas are SESI Bauru, Osasco, SESC Flamengo, Barueri, Fluminense and Pinheiros.