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IRVINE, Calif. (AP) — Ricardo Lucarelli's ace for match point gave top-ranked Brazil a 3-1 victory over the United States on Saturday night in the final match of the USA Volleyball Cup.
The 25-20, 31-33, 25-18, 29-27 victory at the Bren Center on the UC Irvine campus was the third for Brazil in the four-match exhibition series against the United States. The Americans won their lone game in five sets at USC's Galen Center on Wednesday night.
The United States was using the friendlies against Brazil as a tuneup for the FIVB World Cup next month in Japan, which will serve as opportunity to qualify for the 2016 Olympics. The top two finishers in the event earn a berth.
Brazil, as hosts of the Rio Games, has an automatic Olympic berth.
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