Champion and Challenger clash at Men’s Olympic Qualifier in Rio

Three-time Olympic champions and former VNL winners Brazil will face off with 2022 Volleyball Challenger Cup winners Cuba at the Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifier men’s tournament in Rio de Janeiro.

The two squads will meet on October 6 at 10:00 local time (13:00 UTC), vying for one of the two available Olympic spots in Pool A.

Brazil have been in all 15 editions of the Olympic Games and are hoping to continue their participation streak, while their challengers Cuba are looking for their eighth Olympic appearance. The Brazilians have collected three gold and three silver medals in the Olympics, while Cuba have a lone Olympic bronze from the 1976 Games.

Brazil exited the 2023 VNL in sixth-place, following their loss to hosts and eventual champions Poland in the quarterfinals. After finishing fourth in the first two editions, they bounced back with a top podium win in Rimini, Italy, followed by back-to-back sixth-place finishes in the last two editions.

Brazil will be led by their setter Bruno Rezende, who also led the team to win gold at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Brazilian captain will have stalwarts Flavio Gualberto, Ricardo Lucarelli, Alan Souza and Yoandy Leal leading the offense.

Cuba made their entry to the VNL this year after winning the 2022 Volleyball Challenger Cup. Cuba finished 13th overall in the competition, but their opposite Jaime Jesus Herrera left a lasting impression, scoring in double figures in nine of their 12 games, including two 30-point outings against Serbia and Brazil. The other wingman to watch out for is Miguel Angel Lopez, who is also a multiple double-digit scorer.

Watch all the matches of Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifiers on VBTV starting September 16.

Quick links:
Road to Paris Volleyball Qualifier
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