Set to host the 2024 FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship in Uberlândia next week, Praia Clube got a massive confidence boost ahead of the start of the tournament, beating reigning national champions SESI Bauru in the Brazilian Men’s Superliga on Saturday.
Playing in the country’s national league for the last time before their debut at the Club World Championship, Praia battled SESI for five sets and managed to come out on top, winning 3-2 (23-25, 25-14, 23-25, 34-32, 16-14).
Select Brazilian Men’s and Women’s Superliga matches are available live for VBTV subscribers located in Brazil.
Praia’s third-straight victory pushed the team up to third place in the standings, with 18 points (six wins, three losses). SESI, on the other, hand, are now winless in their last five matches and appear in fifth place with 13 points (three wins, five losses).
Praia’s high-scoring opposite Franco Paese had an outstanding performance, producing a match-high 31 points, with 28 kills and three blocks. He passed SESI and Brazilian national team opposite Darlan Souza, who scored 22 (18 kills, three aces, one block), and is now the Superliga’s top scorer with 203 points.
“We expected a very tough match today, it’s been like this every week in the Superliga,” Franco reacted. “We knew it was going to be a match where I’d get a lot of sets on our side and Darlan would get a lot of sets on their side and I’m happy that I delivered. I’m very happy for our team as well because we created this tough mentality of never giving up and fighting until the end, and it’s paying off.”
