Sesc RJ Flamengo was defeated by Fluminense on Friday night (03.10), by 3 sets to 1, partial scores of 25-13, 19-25, 20-25 and 24-26, at Tijuca Tênis Clube, for the Campeonato Carioca. It was the second commitment of coach Bernardinho's squad, who had beaten Tijuca in the debut, by 3 to 0. 

The Red-Blacks started the match with a high tempo, but couldn't maintain their momentum from the second set onward. Outside hitter Simone Lee was the team's top scorer with 22 hits, followed by opposite hitter Tainara with 15. But the team's lack of aggressiveness on the serve hampered the home team's plans.

"It's a learning experience. We were very inconsistent. Our serving could have been better, to help our defense. But we're still building. Our squad has new players, and we need to work hard. We'll take it game by game. Fluminense has a qualified squad and will be fighting with us for the top spots all season, so it's important that we learn from this loss so we can do better in the next match," analyzed center Lorena.

Sesc RJ Flamengo's next challenge is against Tijuca Tênis Clube, next Tuesday (07.10), at 20pm, again in Tijuca, but with the opponent playing at home. 

In the Campeonato Carioca, the three participants face each other in a home and away match, and the top two compete for the cup.