Brazil Beats Japan, Cuba Plays for 11th

By Circles Robinson

HAVANA TIMES, Nov. 13 — Brazil is one step away from winning the Women’s World Volleyball Championship after a tough 3-2 victory over host Japan on Saturday that lasted over two and a half hours.  Cuba, which lost to China earlier in the day, will play The Netherlands for 11th place.

Before a packed stadium of 11,000  home fans, the Japanese squad opened by winning the first two sets 25-22 and 35-33.  However, Brazil regained its top seeded status and fought out the next two by identical 25-22 scores and then took the tie-breaker 15-11.

On Sunday, the last day of the tournament, the match ups are as follows:

Brazil and Russia play for 1^st place;  USA and Japan meet for 3^rd place;  Italy and Turkey play for 5^th place; Serbia and Germany for 7^th; China and Poland for 9^th place and Cuba and The Netherlands for 11^th.