Ankara, Turkey, May 22, 2018 - Tandara Caixeta hit 25 points to inspire Brazil to a third win from four games in the women's FIVB Volleyball Nations League with a gritty 4-set 3-1 (25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-21) victory over hosts Turkey in front of a raucous Ankara crowd.
The Brazilians - 2017 FIVB Volleyball World Grand Prix winners - are big hitters on the women's volleyball circuit, and it showed in this Pool 8 clash against an energetic Turkey side who had won their opening three Volleyball Nations League matches.
The Turks' good recent form belies their lowly world ranking of 12th, but they'd won just one of their last nine world-level fixtures at home - and the world's 4th-ranked side Brazil added to that unwanted home record.
Tandara top-scored with 16 in Brazil's defeat to Germany in their opening fixture and hit a game-high 25 in the victory over Japan, and she matched that tally (25) against Turkey who struggled to defend her ferocious power from the net. Drussyla Costa was also a menace from close range and amassed 16 points while Amanda Francisco added 11 points to her mix of potent serving.
Turkey, who fought back superbly to take a tense third set, had their moments with top-scorer and skipper Erdem Dundar influential, she weighed in with 14 points while there were tenacious performances from the likes of Gamze Alikaya, Zehra Gunes (9 points), Meliha Ismailoglu and Hande Balogin (10 points).
The South American champions began in blistering fashion and had captain Roberta and the outstanding libero Suelen Pinto to thank for providing the defensive solidity as they manouevred their big spike hitters into the perfect positions. And one of those big hitters Tandara provided signs of what was to come with a powerful spike to put Brazil 6-3 ahead. Turkey roused themselves to level at 6-6 but the visitors turned on the style to score six straight points. That gap was out to seven by the second technical time out, and Tandara added further powerful spikes as the Brazilians wrapped up the opening set with ease (25-17).
Brazil had won on their two previous visits to Turkey, including last year's 3-2 victory in Ankara on their way to World Grand Prix honours, and they continued to move through the gears in the second set. The hosts were well in the set at 4-4 but Jose Roberto Guimaraes' women went on a blistering burst of six unanswered points to move 10-4 clear. But Turkey, who beat Italy, USA and Poland in their opening three matches, fought back superbly in front of 2,500 expectant fans, with Erdem's serving causing the South Americans all sorts of problems as they drew level at 17-17. But Brazil wrestled back control and, thanks to a couple of huge Drussyla spikes, Guimaraes's side closed out the set (25-19) to silence the Ankara crowd.
Turkey needed a miracle turnaround and they threw caution to the wind in the third set with Erdem's huge block providing them with a 5-2 lead, which soon became 6-2 with coach Guimaraes calling a Brazilian timeout to try and calm some nerves. And his tactical talk did the trick with Brazil turning the set on its head in dramatic circumstances with Macris Carneiro's instinctive point hauling them level at 10-10, before the South Americans took a 13-11 lead after a wonderful block by Adenizia da Silva. But Turkey - with Italian coach Giovanni Guidetti roaring on from the sidelines - fought back again and took an 18-17 lead after Gunes' tremendous block. Brazil uncharacteristically began to make errors and Tandara's missed spike handed Turkey the set (25-23) and a way back into the match.
The momentum was with the home side, but Brazil are masters at handling pressure situations and they did so again. Despite heading into the first technical time out 8-7 behind, Brazil responded with Drussyla finding her range as they scored seven of the next nine points to take control. Guimaraes' side established a 16-11 lead at the second technical time out, and despite another Turkish comeback - they scored three straight points to move to within two of the visitors under the serving of Ismailoglu - Brazil dug deep to get over the line and seal a tense 4-set victory in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Turkey showed enough to suggest they'll be a serious threat in this competition, but they were ultimately outclassed as they suffered an eighth defeat in nine matches against Brazil. The visitors were good value for their win and make it three straight Volleyball Nations League victories since their opening defeat to Germany.