William shines as Minas end 15-year title drought

One of the most long-standing volleyball clubs in Brazil, Fiat Gerdau Minas relied on the talent and the experience of veteran setter William Arjona to end a 15-year wait for a title with a victory in the Brazilian Cup on Friday in Blumenau.

A masterful performance of the Rio 2016 Olympic champion put the Belo Horizonte club in a position to take Volei Renata down in three sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-21) and lift a trophy for the first time in 15 years.

The triumph crowned a stellar start of the season for Minas. The team, who lead the Brazilian Superliga with a perfect record of 12 wins, is now undefeated in their last 15 matches, having last dropped a game in October 2021.

“I’m very thankful for this victory,” said the 42-year-old William. “To win a national title just a few months before turning 43, it’s something I don’t take for granted as it gets harder every year. Playing for Minas means a lot for me. The club has trusted my work and all I want is to help it succeed at the national and international levels.”

The last time Minas won a tournament was in 2007, when the club triumphed for the 20th time in the Mineiro Championship. The four-time Superliga winners had made it to the final of the Brazilian Cup twice before but had to settle for silver in 2007 and 2019.

“It’s really exciting to see the long-term work developed here at Minas to bring success,” said 38-year-old opposite Leandro Vissotto, a London 2012 Olympic silver medallist and a 2010 world champion. “We have several players in our roster that started their careers at Minas and our role (his and William’s) is to help them grow and play better. That’s really special to see at this point in my career. Minas is the most traditional club in Brazil and waited for a title for longer than it should. I hope the team is returning to a place it should never have left. We dream big and we’ll have good opportunities to accomplish important things this year with the Superliga and the South American Championship.”

Outside hitter Leonardo ‘Leozinho’ Nascimento scored 16 points for Minas, the same number 2021 South American champion Adriano Xavier tallied for Volei Renata. The Campinas-based team played without Rio 2016 Olympic champion middle blocker Lucas Saatkamp, who was sidelined due to an injury.

The women’s 2022 Brazilian Cup will have its final round in Blumenau on Sunday and Monday. The four teams in contention are Dentil Praia Club, Itambe Minas, Osasco Sao Cristovao Saude and SESI Volei Bauru.