Brazil earned a hard-fought 3-0 victory over hosts Japan Sunday evening to win their seventh World Grand Prix title with a perfect 5-0 record as the 2008 edition of the women's volleyball gala lowered its curtain at Yokohama Arena. Cuba rallied past World No. 2 Italy 3-1 for the silver while the United States held off reigning Olympic champions China 3-2 to finish fourth.
Brazil earned a hard-fought 3-0 victory over hosts Japan Sunday evening to win their seventh World Grand Prix title with a perfect 5-0 record as the 2008 edition of the women's volleyball gala lowered its curtain at Yokohama Arena.
With the 25-23, 25-23 and 25-19 victory over the fighting hosts, the Brazilians crowned in the six-team round robin where they dropped only one set. Their earlier Grand Prix titles came in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Brazil's Marianne Steinbrecher, who scored 12 points in the last match, won the award of the Most Valuable Player.
"We were expected to win the Grand Prix after beating Cuba yesterday, but still we had to pay attention not to lose this last match and continue to compete at a high-level," said Brazil head coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes. "We have many things to do. I do not like the Brazil defence. I think we have to be better in Beijing."
"The block is good, but on the counter-attack we made many mistakes. In general we played well here and I expect we can maintain the same level at the Olympics as we played here," he added.
