Cruzeiro knock Praia down and take the lead in the Superliga

Two weeks away from representing Brazil at the upcoming 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's Club World Championship, Sada Cruzeiro and Praia Clube met on Tuesday in the 2025-2026 Brazilian Superliga with the top spot in the standings in play.

Counting on the support of their home fans in Contagem, reigning world champions Cruzeiro handed their rivals their first defeat in the season and triumphed 3-1 (25-21, 24-26, 25-20, 25-19) in the eighth leg of the regular season, making it to first place.

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The Minas Gerais rivals entered the match tied with 23 points, but Praia had the edge due to their higher number of victories. Now, Cruzeiro are alone at the top of the standings with 26 (eight wins, two losses), while Praia are second with 23, but were caught by third-placed Vôlei Renata Campinas, the Club World Championship hosts, who also have 23 points, but have one game in hand.

Replacing the injured star opposite Wallace de Souza in Cruzeiro's starting lineup, opposite Welinton Oppenkoski carried Cruzeiro to victory with a spectacular 25-point performance (24 kills, one block). He was awarded as the match's MVP.

"I'm happy to be able to help the team and show my work," Oppenkoski said. "It was a very important victory, against the team that was at the top of the standings, and that gives us some confidence for the Club World Championship. But we still have one more Superliga match before it, and we want to prepare well to have another good performance."

Middle blockers Lucas Saatkamp, who registered 18 points (12 kills, three blocks, three aces), and Otávio Pinto, who added another 14 (11 kills, two blocks, one ace), were also pivotal in the team's victory.

Praia, who went down for the first time in the Superliga after winning nine straight matches, had outside hitter Paulo Vinicios Silva as their leading scorer with 19 points (17 kills, one block, one ace), followed by opposite Franco Paese, who tallied 16 (14 kills, two blocks).

The first match of the eighth leg was held on Sunday, when ninth-placed Viapol Vôlei São José went on the road against fourth-placed Vôlei Guarulhos Bateubet and won 3-1 (25-22, 25-20, 22-25, 31-29). On Monday, third-placed Campinas swept (25-20, 25-16, 25-18) sixth-placed Suzano Vôlei.

Brazilian Men’s Superliga – Match Schedule & Results

The three final matches will all take place on Wednesday, with eighth-placed Azulim Sicoob Aracoop Monte Carmelo meeting seventh-placed SESI Bauru at 18:30 local time (21:30 UTC), 12th-placed JF Vôlei battling 11th-placed Itambé Minas at 19:00 and fifth-placed Saneago Goiás Vôlei playing tenth-placed Joinville Vôlei at 21:30 (00:30 UTC, Thursday).

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