Brazil Handles U.S. in World Volleyball Match

It was the drums Bill Neville was worried about.

The coach of the U.S. men’s national volleyball team had a surge of confidence upon arrival in San Diego Wednesday. But his team had the worst record (1-9) in the Federation Internationale de Volleyball World League.

Still, there was hope. Neville said his team showed a lot of improvement after a sweep through Italy, France and Brazil, the countries that make up Pool A of the league.

But the fans of the Brazilan team were a cause for concern. Their rowdiness during earlier matches in Brazil, which included beating large drums, proved to be distracting.

They left their drums at home for Friday night’s match at the San Diego Sports Arena, but the United States still lost to Brazil, 13-15, 15-9, 15-8, 15-6.

The United States also dropped matches to Brazil on May 25 in front of 15,200 in Brasilia and with a crowd of 17,150 on May 27 in Belo Horiozonte.

Neville said of the Brazilian fans:

“They are rabid,” he said. “In timeouts my lips could have been pressed against my players’ ears and they still couldn’t have heard me. A lot of them know nothing about the game, they just come to make noise.”

He had hoped the civility of the American fans would leave a bad taste in the mouth--and somehow rub off on the play--of the visitors.

“This place will seem like a library to them.”

Brazil didn’t have to study the Americans very long.

An intense U.S. team came out fired up and hungry, winning the first game behind the play of hitter Jon Root and setter Uvaldo Acosta.

“The first game we came out and played well,” Neville said. “We started on a positive note.”

The momentum changed quickly. The U.S. appeared to miscommunicate on plays often and got tricked with stuffed blocks at the net often.

“‘Brazil turned it up a notch and we got into a finger-pointing mode,” Neville said. The setters started to pull back and get tentative and the hitters got frustrated, and it all snowballed.

Brazil’s brash and aggressive style was expected, but Neville said he had hoped the U.S. could overcome it with organization and planning, the American style of play.

It wasn’t to be. The closest the U.S. got after the first game was closing a 13-5 deficit to 13-9 in the second game, but Brazil closed it out on another stuffed blocked.

Root, who led the U.S. with 21 kills, was stuffed 11 times at the net.

“He’s one of those guys who can get easily frustrated,” Neville said. “He can put a lot of pressure on the setters, but he’s not good with a low set.”

Brazil (8-3) is now tied with Italy for first in Pool A, and will meet the U.S. (1-10) tonight at the Forum in Los Angeles at 7:30. The top two teams from Pool A and Pool B will advance to the league championship tournament July 14-15 in Osaka, Japan.

The United States was hurt by the absence of Mark Arnold, who had a 102 degree temperature earlier in the day.

Leading Brazil was Alexendre Ramos, who finished with 15 kills.

“He did the best tonight,” Brazil Coach Paulo Freitas said through an interpreter. “He was the most important player and he had a sore ankle.”

Ramos was the best on this night, but Brazil changes its lineup and positions so often, one player never dominates, Freitas said.

“‘Because we’re so young,” Freitas said, “they alter.”

“I am worried,” said Freitas. “It’s difficult to win against the Americans.”