Ana Cristina Souza dominated the court with a match-high 21 points as Brazil rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Germany in a thrilling five-setter at the Volleyball Nations League 2025. The two-time Olympic medalist's performance helped the host nation maintain their undefeated record in Pool 2 at the packed Maracanãzinho stadium on Saturday.
"The players who came off the bench brought a great energy to the court and contributed a lot," said fellow outside hitter Julia Bergmann, who added 15 points to Brazil's tally. "It was Jheovana's first time with the starters and she was amazing. We had some ups and downs, but finished strong and won the tie-breaker by a solid margin."
After narrowly claiming the first set 25-23, Brazil faced strong resistance from the German squad, dropping the next two sets 21-25 and 23-25. However, with thousands of passionate fans providing extra motivation, the South Americans found their rhythm to secure the fourth set 25-20 before dominating the tie-breaker 15-8.
Interestingly, it wasn't just Ana Cristina carrying the offensive load. Middle blocker Lorena Viezel matched Bergmann's 15-point contribution, while opposite Jheovana Emanuele delivered an impressive 14 points coming off the bench in her first appearance with the starters.
The Germans put up a valiant fight with Lina Alsmeier and Emilie Weske each scoring 17 points, while outside hitter Maria Tabacuks added 15.
In the day's other action, VNL rookies Czechia continued their impressive run, coming back twice to defeat Korea 3-2 (17-25, 25-17, 21-25, 25-9, 15-9). Opposite Monika Brancuská led the Czech attack with 17 points, while middle blocker Magdalena Jehlarová contributed 15 points in their second victory of the tournament.
Brazil now faces another challenge on Sunday as they take on Italy in the final match of the opening week. Can the hosts complete a perfect 4-0 run in front of their passionate home crowd? The action begins at 10:00 local time, followed by Czechia versus Germany at 13:30 and Korea against the United States at 17:00.
