Natália leads Osasco to end 13-year Superliga title drought

Returning to the Brazilian Women’s Superliga after six seasons in 2024-2025, star outside hitter Natália Pereira took giants Osasco São Cristovão Saúde back to the top of the podium, helping her team win its first national title in 13 years.

The 36-year-old Olympic champion outside hitter was instrumental in the campaign that ended on Thursday, with Osasco winning their sixth Superliga title, the first since 2011-2012, with a 3-1 (26-24, 19-25, 28-26, 25-20) victory over SESI Vôlei Bauru in the tournament’s final, held in front of over 10,000 fans at the Ibirapuera Stadium, in São Paulo.

Select Brazilian Men’s and Women’s Superliga matches are available on demand for VBTV subscribers located in Brazil.

Having her second stint with the club she first played for between 2006 and 2011, Natália helped Osasco, one of the winningest women’s teams in the country, lift the Superliga trophy after 13 years – they had last won the title in 2011-2012 and also celebrated victories in 2002-2003, 2003-2004, 2004-2005 and 2009-2010. Osasco have now tied Gerdau Minas as the second most successful team in the country with six Superliga titles, only trailing SESC RJ Flamengo, who have 12 victories.

The victory on Thursday also crowned a perfect 2024-2025 season for the 2012 world champions, who triumphed in all three tournaments they played, also taking gold at the Brazilian Cup and the São Paulo State Championship and securing the ‘Triple Crown’. - they beat SESI in all three finals.

The veteran outside hitter, who was with the team in their 2009-2010 title, was decisive in the victory against SESI, producing a match-high 25 points, with 22 kills, two blocks and one ace, and was awarded as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.

She was one of the faces of the team alongside Olympic medalist libero Camila Brait, who won her third Superliga title with Osasco, and head coach Luizomar de Moura, who has been at the helm since 2006 and also got to lift the trophy for the third time.

“I couldn’t have hoped for anything better than winning the Superliga again and having Brait and Luizomar by my side,” she said. “I was very emotional at the end because I know how much pressure we have to deal with every single day. I never expected to win the Triple Crown and make history in my return. Seeing the younger players in our squad develop makes me very happy, too. Before today, Brait and I were the only ones to have played in a Superliga final, and now all of them have a Superliga title. We were very united as a team, and that makes a difference in the end.”

Veteran opposite Tifanny Abreu, who scored 24 points (18 kills, five blocks, one ace), and libero Camila Brait, who received the match’s MVP award, also had strong performances for Osasco in the final.

For SESI, who continue to chase their first Superliga title, opposite Bruna Moraes, with 24 points (22 kills, one block, one ace), and Venezuelan outside hitter Roslandy Acosta, with 19 (16 kills, three blocks), were the most productive players.

“I’m very happy for our team,” team captain and star setter Dani Lins said. “We played as a team the entire time and overcame many obstacles, both as a team and individually, during the season to make it to three finals. We worked very hard and wanted very much to win today, but there was a very strong team that wanted the same thing on the other side of the net today.”

After the gold medal match, the Superliga’s Dream Team was revealed, having Dani Lins as setter, Gerdau Minas’ Kisy Nascimento as opposite, Natália and Dentil Praia Clube’s Sofya Kuznetsova as outside hitters, Gerdau Minas’ Thaisa Menezes and Dentil Praia Clube’s Adenízia Ferreira as middles and Brait as libero.

The Brazilian Men’s Superliga final will be held on Sunday, at 10:00 local time (7:00 GMT), having Sada Cruzeiro and Vôlei Renata as the title contenders.

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