Sada Cruzeiro made its debut at the Club World Championship on Tuesday night, December 10, in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Against Argentina’s Ciudad Volley, the team had a challenging start but secured a comeback victory by 3 sets to 1, with set scores of 27/29, 25/21, 25/17, and 25/22, earning three points in the opening round of the international tournament.

The team will return to Arena Sabiazinho on Wednesday, December 11, at 8:30 PM, to face Iranian team Shahdab Yazd, which lost to Italy’s Trentino 3-0. Following that, on Thursday, Sada Cruzeiro will conclude the group stage in Group B against Trentino.

In Group A, Praia Clube, Egypt’s Al Ahly, Italy’s Lube Civitanova, and Iran’s Foolad Sirjan will compete. Teams face off within their groups, and the top-ranked teams will advance to the final stage, with the semifinals and final being single-match encounters.

Outside hitter Rodriguinho was the top scorer for Sada Cruzeiro against the Argentinians, with 16 points and a 76% attack efficiency. Lucão had a 77% efficiency and scored 15 points, followed by Vaccari with 13. Otávio also stood out, with 70% on attack conversions and eight points.

Rodriguinho praised the team’s patience, especially after a rough start in the first set. “We gradually got into the game, needing to find patience to play against an Argentine team that defends really well. After that, we started doing our part: serving well, getting the block and defense right. Once we fixed those, the game began to flow. Now we focus on the next match, fighting until the end, until the last point,” said Rodriguinho.