Darlan loses balance, but Araguari wins in the quarterfinals of the Superliga

Photo: Felipe Wiira/Sesi-SP

Once again, the team with the best campaign in the qualifying phase of the Men’s Volleyball Super League started the playoffs with a defeat. After Sada Cruzeiro and Guarulhos, it was Sesi Bauru’s turn to lose at home in the first match of the quarter-final series. The executioner was Araguari, who played a great game and overcame an inspired night from Darlan to win by 3 sets to 2 (25/16, 35/33, 21/25, 17/25 and 15/11).

In the first phase of the Superliga, Sesi Bauru finished with the third best campaign. In 22 games, the team scored 44 points with 14 wins. On the other hand, Araguari ran a more modest campaign than that of the São Paulo team. The team from Minas Gerais finished in sixth place, with 34 points and 12 wins.

The second game of the series between Sesi Bauru and Araguari is scheduled for next Friday (5). Just like today, the clash takes place from 6:30 pm at Arena Sicob Aracoop, in Araguari (MG). If Araguari wins again, the team will qualify for the semifinals of the Men’s Superliga. However, if Sesi ties the series, the decision will go to a third game, held in Bauru again.

Darlan inspired

Darlan was decisive for Sesi Bauru once again. The opposite showed why he is the highest scorer in the Superliga this season. According to unofficial statistics, he scored more than 41 points and set a new record for scoring by a player in a single game. Furthermore, he scored 18 points in the second set alone. However, the numbers still need confirmation from the Brazilian Volleyball Confederation (CBV).

Game summary

The game was full of alternatives. In the first half, Araguari secured victory with some superiority. Then, Sesi managed to balance the game, the teams played the longest period of the match and the team from Minas Gerais opened 2-0.

+ FOLLOW OTD ON YOUTUBE, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, TIK TOK AND FACEBOOK

Things changed radically in the following stages. Forcing serve, Sesi returned to the game and dominated the third and fourth sets to take the match to a tie-break. However, the momentum was not enough to reach fifth and the miners opened a good advantage to take the victory.