Brazil 0 x 3 USA (27/29, 23/25, 18/25)
BRA: Dani Lins 1 (1a), Tandara 15 (13a, 1b, 1s), Rosamaria 10 (7a, 2b), Amanda 13 (11a, 2b), Carol 6 (5a, 1b) and Bia 2 (1a, 1b). Gabiru (L). In: Roberta, Fernanda Tomé, Adenízia 2 (1a, 1b). Adv. err.: 19 points.
USA: Carlini 1 (1s), Drews 11 (9a, 2b), Bartsch 15 (14a, 1b), Kingdom 8 (6a, 2b), Ogbobu 11 (5a, 6b) and Dixon 6 (5a, 1b). In: Hancock 1 (1s), Lowe 3 (2a, 1b). Adv. err.: 23 points.
PS: Unofficial stats.
I guess Ze is only giving Thaisa some court time, because she need it if Ze is planning to use her as starter in WCH. Bia is playing poorly in NT this year, which is a pity, but I guess Thaisa is not ready yet to play against teams that plays quite fast, such as the US. In Pan Am Cup whenever she had played against a team that uses quick sets, she got completely lost in block. Maybe this will become clearer in the following friendly matches.
Kasia Skowronska renewed with Hinode Barueri (BRA).
Source: https://twitter.com/HinodeBarueri/status/1027968614798905344
Paula Pequeno (OH, BRA) has just been announced by Osasco-Audax (BRA).
Source: Club's instagram.
Monique is just okay. She was awful during this year's VNL. She could have been useful a few years ago but not right now. Ze should try someone new.
Monique is more than okay in Superliga, although I can't even consider her as "okay" in international competitions. She has been playing awful since she joined NT a few years ago... I don't remember seeing her score more than 20 points in international matches (a common number among opposites).
This seems like goodbye to Amanda. Rosa and Tome can play pos 2 but with Fe Garay back, Brazil's already full with receiving attackers and Ze might need a decent opposite to back-up Tandara.
My guess is that Ze will take Amanda to WCH. Rosamaria is playing poorly, and if she doesn't step it up during Montreux or friendly matches, I am pretty sure she will be cut out.
I think he'll take 5 OH (Amanda, Drussyla, Gabi, Garay and Natalia) and the trio Tandara-Natalia-Garay will be starters. If Tandara play bad or get injured, he can move Natalia to OPP and play with Gabi and Garay as OH (that's our 2nd best option now). I think it is very unlikely to see Rosa or Tomé playing as starters, even in case of an injury of Tandara.
Also, Ze can put MBs and Gabi (as he did in Rio 2016) in inversions.
I would not be really happy for Fabiana's return because I think she is not the same from 2012 and she is not MUCH better than Thaisa, Ade, Carol and Bia right now. Also, she had played for Brazil from 2000-2016, not including U-20 categories, so she deserve this rest.
Although, I am really excited to see Garay is back. She is in shape and playing great. Also, Garay first appearance in NT was just in 2010, so I guess she still has a lot to contribute. She was one of the best OH in Superliga this season. Combined to this, Amanda playing as starter is a joke for me tbh. I've had it!
Fernanda Garay is on Brazil's list for Montreux Volley Masters. I am sure that Ze won't give up on her easily.
By an instagram post, Fabiana has just confirmed that she won't practice with the NT, arguing that those were all fake news. She will be back to Praia Clube on August 1st.
Well, she could have said that 3 days ago tho 
Why is a team such as Cameroon invited here in this edition? Seeing the participants it doesn't make sense at all. Perhaps just to make the host team a little bit better? LOL
Well, it makes a lot of sense for me... I guess they are just trying to be inclusive, because African teams will never be competitive enough if they keep playing only local games!
I don't believe Fabiana will go to WCH. If it were any other year before the present climate of Brazilian sports, she will probably be all for it one last time.
I am not sure about that... IDK why would she be practicing with NT if she has no intentions to go.
According to Brazilian journalist Bruno Voloch, Fabiana Claudino (MB) was invited to practice with NT. It is not an official call, but it won't be a surprise if she appers in WCH this year, which is the only international tittle that Fabiana doesn't have yet.
Display MoreShe did okay, wasn't a game changer like Foluke, but she was playing for Hitachi, not Hisamitsu.
I'm not sure what stats you'd like to see but maybe these will help (they are in Japanese, so use Chrome for auto-translation or you'll need some plug-in for other browsers):
Her overall:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/dataroom/player/result/id=1347
If you want to look at individual matches, go here and click on Official Record B for each match:
http://www.vleague.or.jp/datar…d_id=1&team=w_hitachisawa
And go here (popup the "Watched Sort" to see different stats) to see how she ranked against others:
Thanks so much for all the information provided!!! 
I know I am waaaaay late on this, but could anyone tell how Cursty Jackson performed this season in V-League? I would also like to know if there is a website where I can check her stats.
Thanks in advance!
Paula Pequeno (BRA, OH) is training with Osasco-Audax. She might be hired if they find an sponsor for her.
Julieta Lazcano (ARG, MB) has signed with Curitiba Vôlei (BRA), new team in Superliga's main division.
According to journalist Bruno Voloch, the renovation of Angela Leyva (PER) with Osasco-Audax is underway.
about BRA: in the past, they tried out some other OH/OP, whatever happened to pri daroit, joycinha, suelle, ivna?
i guess ze doesn't like joycinha... maybe the others are not playing well. i remember them from 2015, when the team got split for the GP and the pan am games...
Joycinha is 34 already and in the past two seasons she was not as good as she used to be. Her game style is also very different from Brazilian style (she can only attack high balls in position 2). Suelle was terrible this season playing under Ze's supervision in Barueri. Ivna benched all season in Pinheiros. Pri Daroit had a regular Superliga, she was invited to Pan Am Cup but she rejected the invitation. She's almost 30 and maybe NT is not in her plans anymore.
After evaluating players' performance in Pan Am Cup, Ze Roberto has just announced four more players that will join the NT. He has invited Dani Lins (S), Thaisa (MB), Suelen (L) and Fernanda Tomé (OH/OPP). So, there are 15 invited players right now:
OPP: Tandara
S: Dani Lins and Roberta
OH: Amanda, Drussyla, Rosamaria, Natália, Gabi and Fe Tomé
MB: Adenízia, Bia, Carol and Thaisa
L: Gabiru and Suelen
It seems that we won't see Mara and Monique this year anymore (finally), only in case of injuries. I guess Rosamaria and Fernanda Tomé will be fighting for the last spot. Ze is probably going to use them as OPP.
Heh. It will be good to see her back, but on the other hand, the only reason she's coming back is that the other setters sucked. And we can't keep counting on her to bail us out forever and instead need to find a long term solution ASAP.
This is a very good point. If Serbia don't invest on setters they have, they will have very good short-term results, while for the next olympic cycle, they'll have only an unprepared and unexperienced setter whom is Mirkovic (and maybe other prospects). My point is, how able will she be to asume the position when Ognjenovic decides to retire?
