The Brazilian women's volleyball team defeated China in three sets Thursday to advance to the Olympic gold medal match against the United States. Brazil breezed past host and reigning champion China 3-0 (27-25, 25-22, 25-14) while the US stunned hapless Cuba in a 3-0 (25-20, 25-16, 25-17) canter. Brazil remained undefeated with the victory. The top-ranked team has yet to drop a set in seven matches in Beijing. China, which won the gold in Athens in 2004, will face Cuba in the bronze medal match on Saturday. The Brazilians won bronze medals in both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics. Although considered one of the favorites in Athens, they finished fourth. Since then the team has won the 2006 world championships and the 2007 World Cup, a win that put it into the Olympic games. And again, they were considered the favorites going into Beijing. Spurred by the enthusiastic crowd at Capital Indoor Stadium, China took an early 12-9 lead in the first set on Zhou Suhong's ace. Brazil silenced the fans by moving ahead 20-18 on Sheilla's block. China went up 25-24 on Zhou's spike, but Brazil scored the next three points to win it. Sheilla spiked for set point. The Chinese kept it close in the second, evening at 17 on Wang Yimei's spike and going ahead on Ma Yunwen's block. But the taller and faster Brazilians quickly retook control and won it when Zhuo served into the net. The third set was all Brazil's. Paula Pequeno's spike put the Brazilians up 19-10 and they won the match when Ma Yunwen could not control a return for set point. Sheilla finished with 17 points and four blocks for Brazil. Li Juan had 10 points for China. Afterward, the Brazilian players mugged for television cameras. The Chinese fans filed quietly from the arena.
