BRAZIL laid Dutch captain Nimir Abdel-Aziz’ 38-point eruption to waste with a 24-26, 25-23, 31-29, 25-20 win over the Netherlands to begin the Philippine leg of the 2024 Volleyball Men’s Nations League (VNL) on Tuesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Darlan fired a team-high 26 points on 20 attacks, three blocks and three aces as Brazil rose to third in the final week of VNL preliminaries with a 6-3 (win-loss) card.
While the Olympic-bound side’s ace spiker did deal with mid-game jitters, such a morale-boost remains of utmost importance in the lead-up to the VNL quarterfinals and the Summer Games next month.
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“We got a little nervous. The Netherlands played so well but we eventually managed to boost our pace and we’re happy to get the win.
"It’s always good when we get a win. It’s a boost in our morale and the matches are very hard so we have to stay focused with our (remaining) match-ups,” said Darlan.
Brazilian blocking duo Lucas and Flavio combined for 23 markers built on 12 attacks, nine blocks and two aces to cap a stellar first win in the VNL’s third staging in Manila.
Abdel-Aziz ran the show for a struggling Dutch side with 33 attacks and five aces as their chances to qualify for either the VNL playoffs and Olympics further slimmed with a 3-7 card.
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