FC Porto reclaim Portuguese crown with straight-set victory in Braga
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FC Porto are the queens of Portuguese Volleyball once again. The Blue-and-Whites secured their second national title as a solo project this past Sunday after delivering a clinical performance to defeat SC Braga 3-0 (25-20, 27-25, 25-22) in the fourth match of the Liga Solverde.pt championship series. With this victory at the AMCO Arena, the squad led by Miguel Coelho closed the series 3-1, thus confirming their dominance in a season where they also captured the Portuguese Cup, thereby achieving a prestigious domestic double.
A battle of fine margins
While the 3-0 scoreline suggests a comfortable afternoon for the visitors, the match was actually a tightly contested affair. The second set proved to be the turning point, with FC Porto showing nerves of steel to edge it 27-25. The offensive workload was perfectly distributed for Porto, with Mika Grbavica and Kelsey Veltman spearheading the attack with 13 points apiece. On the other side of the net, SC Braga’s Beatriz Santos matched that tally, but it was not enough to force a fifth game in the series.
A Group of Superwomen
An emotional Miguel Coelho was quick to shift the spotlight onto his players during the post-match celebrations:
“I have the privilege of being surrounded by superwomen. This is a group that has shown incredible resilience. We felt we had to prove more than everyone else this year, and to end the season as regular season leaders, Cup winners, and National Champions is the ultimate validation of our work.”
The title marks a period of unprecedented success for the Porto-based club, which has now secured two championships, a domestic cup, and an Iberian Super Cup in just three years – not to mention last year’s debut on the biggest stage of all, the CEV Volleyball Champions League.
Resilience as a trademark
The growth of the Portuguese league was a recurring theme in the champions’ analysis. Coelho highlighted the ‘enormous quality’ of the competition, which made their wire-to-wire lead – holding the top spot since Match Day 1 – even more impressive.
For SC Braga, led by João Santos, the defeat brings a second consecutive silver medal. Despite the loss, the ‘Guerreiras do Minho’ have solidified their position as a rising force in Portuguese Volleyball, pushing the champions to the limit throughout the final series.
With the domestic trophy heading back to the Dragão Arena, FC Porto now looks ahead to further cementing their project as a mainstay in European elite competitions.