2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic GamesAug 5, 2016 by Beverly Oden
2016 Olympics Rankings: #1 Brazil (Women)
2016 Olympics Rankings: #1 Brazil (Women)
The Brazil women's volleyball team snagged the No. 1 spot in our 2016 Olympics Rankings.
The FloVolleyball Olympics Rankings will count down to the start of the indoor volleyball competition in Rio by highlighting one team per gender each day. Today, one day before the first serve, we profile the No. 1-ranked Brazil men and women.
TOP PLAYERS
Sheilla Castro De Paula Blassioli, Outside Hitter
Best spiker, best server, fifth-best scorer at World Championships; Best spiker, sixth-best scorer at World Grand Prix
Jaqueline Pereira De Carvalho Endres, Outside Hitter
Second-best spiker, second-best receiver, ninth-best blocker, and 10th-best scorer at World Championships
Thaisa Menezes, Middle Blocker
Best blocker, ninth-best server at World Championships; ninth-best blocker, ninth-best server at World Grand Prix
Natalia Pereira, Outside Hitter
Second-best spiker, third-best scorer and receiver, and fifth-best blocker at World Grand Prix
Brazil's tenth appearance in the Olympic Games is bound to be legendary for the country's volleyball programs. Not only is the women's team entering the Olympics as the defending two-time gold medists, but it will play the Olympics on its home soil for the first time in history. The excitement and anticipation is palpable for this team and although it is under a great deal of pressure to succeed, the Brazil women won't let it get to them.
As hosts, Brazil's quad was much less stressful as it automatically qualified and was able to skip the World Cup entirely. But when it did take the floor at major tournaments this quad, it was formidable. Brazil won three out of four World Grand Prix tournaments this quad. The one it lost in 2015 went to the only other team that can spoil its coronation in Rio, the USA.
Brazil and USA traded punches all the way through the quad. USA won World Championships in 2014, putting an end to Brazil's undefeated performance in that tournament. The two teams met in the seminfinal and the U.S. beat Brazil in three sets.
In the 2016 World Grand Prix just last month, the Brazil and USA met in the gold-medal final. It was a hard-fought, back and forth battle and Brazil came out victorious in five sets in what was the last meeting before these two teams see each other in the medal round in Rio.
Volleyball is the second most popular sport in Brazil behind soccer. The atmosphere in the Olympics arena when these women take the court for the gold-medal match will be electric. The Brazilians will feed off of that energy, play with a ton of emotion and the crowd will light them up. With eight veterans from the gold-medal-winning 2012 squad returning, Brazil has everything it needs to win a third straight gold: experience, talent, power, cohesion, and motivation, not to mention the all-important home-court advantage. Brazil is the team to beat in Rio and it is focused and ready to go. Expect the home team to advance from pool play in great shape and go all the way to the gold-medal match where USA should be waiting for it. Brazil has the edge, but the final will be an epic battle of two powerhouse teams.
FloVolleyball Women's 2016 Olympics Rankings
12. Cameroon
11. Puerto Rico
8. The Netherlands
6. Serbia
5. Japan
4. Russia
3. China
COUNTRY: Brazil
TOP PLAYERS
Sheilla Castro De Paula Blassioli, Outside Hitter
Best spiker, best server, fifth-best scorer at World Championships; Best spiker, sixth-best scorer at World Grand Prix
Jaqueline Pereira De Carvalho Endres, Outside Hitter
Second-best spiker, second-best receiver, ninth-best blocker, and 10th-best scorer at World Championships
Thaisa Menezes, Middle Blocker
Best blocker, ninth-best server at World Championships; ninth-best blocker, ninth-best server at World Grand Prix
Natalia Pereira, Outside Hitter
Second-best spiker, third-best scorer and receiver, and fifth-best blocker at World Grand Prix
SYNOPSIS
Brazil's tenth appearance in the Olympic Games is bound to be legendary for the country's volleyball programs. Not only is the women's team entering the Olympics as the defending two-time gold medists, but it will play the Olympics on its home soil for the first time in history. The excitement and anticipation is palpable for this team and although it is under a great deal of pressure to succeed, the Brazil women won't let it get to them.
As hosts, Brazil's quad was much less stressful as it automatically qualified and was able to skip the World Cup entirely. But when it did take the floor at major tournaments this quad, it was formidable. Brazil won three out of four World Grand Prix tournaments this quad. The one it lost in 2015 went to the only other team that can spoil its coronation in Rio, the USA.
Brazil and USA traded punches all the way through the quad. USA won World Championships in 2014, putting an end to Brazil's undefeated performance in that tournament. The two teams met in the seminfinal and the U.S. beat Brazil in three sets.
In the 2016 World Grand Prix just last month, the Brazil and USA met in the gold-medal final. It was a hard-fought, back and forth battle and Brazil came out victorious in five sets in what was the last meeting before these two teams see each other in the medal round in Rio.
PREDICTION
Volleyball is the second most popular sport in Brazil behind soccer. The atmosphere in the Olympics arena when these women take the court for the gold-medal match will be electric. The Brazilians will feed off of that energy, play with a ton of emotion and the crowd will light them up. With eight veterans from the gold-medal-winning 2012 squad returning, Brazil has everything it needs to win a third straight gold: experience, talent, power, cohesion, and motivation, not to mention the all-important home-court advantage. Brazil is the team to beat in Rio and it is focused and ready to go. Expect the home team to advance from pool play in great shape and go all the way to the gold-medal match where USA should be waiting for it. Brazil has the edge, but the final will be an epic battle of two powerhouse teams.
FloVolleyball Women's 2016 Olympics Rankings
12. Cameroon
11. Puerto Rico
10. Argentina
9. Korea
8. The Netherlands
7. Italy
6. Serbia
5. Japan
4. Russia
3. China
2. USA
1. Brazil
