Turkey beats Brazil in FIVB opening

TOKYO

AA Photo

Turkey scored a big 3-2 (25-18, 25-23, 21-25, 19-25, 15-12) win over defending champions Brazil on the opening day of the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on Aug. 19.

Turkey’s Gözde Sonsırma was the top scorer in the match with 23 points while her teammate Neriman Vzsoy had 21. Brazil’s top scorer was Tandara Caixeta with 20 points.

Turkey had 12 service points to Brazil’s one, as Brazil only dropped two sets in their nine preliminary round matches.

Brazil had won both of their previous World Grand Prix matches against Turkey.

Both teams showed flashes of their talent in the early stages of the first set but they also made errors.
Two spikes each by Sonsırma and Özsoy and a reception error by Jaqueline allowed Turkey to take a 5-2 lead in the fifth set but they were only two points ahead at the change-around thanks to errors of their own. Özsoy then forced a spike through the Brazilian defense to give Turkey three matchpoints. Today, the Turkish side will play against the host team Japan.