HISTORICAL MATCH | BRAZIL vs ITALY | Men's OQT 2023. Seven years after defeating Italy in front of their home fans in a packed Maracanãzinho to triumph at the Rio 2016 Olympics and win their third gold medal in the event, Brazil secured another historic victory against their longtime rivals at the iconic stadium on Sunday.

With a spot at next year’s Paris 2024 Olympics on the line, the South Americans were on the winning side of a dramatic five-set battle at the Volleyball Olympic Qualifying Tournament, topping the Italians 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 15-25, 25-17, 15-11) to qualify in Pool A.

With their sixth victory in seven matches in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil end the Olympic Qualifier in second place, behind Germany. The South Americans will make their 16th Olympic appearance and will keep their tradition of never missing the Games. The Brazilians are not only regular Olympic participants, but are a true force in the Games, having won three golds and three silvers since the 1984 edition.

“It was amazing, very emotional,” team captain and setter Bruno Rezende reflected. “We had to suffer a lot, but we made it. I want to thank my teammates, our coaching staff and the fans. We had to go through a lot this week, but we never gave up.”

Rising star opposite Darlan Souza was Brazil’s leading scorer in an encounter full of ups and downs, registering a match-high 19 points, with 16 kills, two aces and one block. The 21-year-old opposite, who made his national team debut in 2022, scored four points in the tie-breaker.

“I have no words to describe how I feel now,” he said after the match. “I just wanted to thank everyone who came here over the week to support us. A lot of people doubted us, but we never stopped believing.”

Olympic champion outside hitter Ricardo Lucarelli was also huge for Brazil, adding 17 points (14 kills, three aces) and scoring the game-winning point with a strong serve.

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