Serbia secures round of 16 after straight set win against Brazil
Serbia punched their ticket to the Round of 16 after a stunning straight-sets victory over powerhouse Brazil, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22, in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Drazen Luburic was unstoppable, leading Serbia with 17 kills and two aces for a game-high 19 points as the team capped Pool H with back-to-back wins after a shaky opening loss to Czechia.
Pavle Peric added 15 points on 13 attacks, one block, and an ace, while Miran Kujundzic chipped in 10 points, highlighted by four blocks.
“It’s a huge win for us. I’m not sure we would have performed this well if we had beaten Czechia. Probably we would have been a little relaxed, so in a way, it’s a good thing. We chose the hard way, but luckily, we made it through,” said Luburic.
“It was a great performance, definitely, as we saw on the court. We also knew how hard we worked this summer,” he added.
The loss jeopardized Brazil’s hopes of advancing despite their 2-1 record. Czechia still had a chance to claim the remaining Round of 16 ticket in Pool H with a straight-sets win over China in the late match.
Brazil, meanwhile, struggled offensively, with Alan Souza the lone bright spot with 10 points, while Judson Nunes contributed nine.
