Brazilian libero Lais Vasques leads the celebration following the five-set victory against Russia
Gurabo, Puerto Rico, September 16, 2015 – Lorenne Geraldo topped Brazil in points, blocks and aces but the victory over Russia in five sets was a team-effort and both Geraldo and coach Mauricio Thomas credited the players off the bench for their big contributions in the win.
Mauricio Thomas, coach of Brazil: There was a moment of the match when the spirit of the team was down and I had to motivate the players encouraging them to go out and have fun playing relaxed. That is what happened in the fourth set and in the tie-breaker. The players from the bench did a solid job. I am very happy with the result against a very difficult team. The pool is a tough one with three European teams with very tall players. Their blocking is very high so the effort needed against that high wall is very big.
Lorenne Geraldo, player of Brazil: I am very glad for the victory and with my individual contributions but my teammates helped me to score those 29 points tonight. We had a lot of help from the players who came from the bench because the team was tired. Everybody contributed to the victory and the team showed a good and positive spirit to get the win.