A truly curious incident marked the match between the women's teams of Barueri and Osasco in the São Paulo state volleyball championship – Campeonato Paulista Feminino. The encounter, which was meant to decide the final fate of the playoff clash, was interrupted at the most tense moment – with the score at 12:15 for Osasco in the golden set, when an opossum suddenly invaded the playing court!

The incident occurred precisely when the tension in the hall was at its peak. As the two teams were preparing for the next rally, an opossum appeared from the side of the court, flew onto the playing field, and caused complete panic among the volleyball players.

The players instinctively scattered with screams, with one team's middle blocker appearing the most frightened, rushing to get as far away as possible from the unexpected guest. The match was temporarily halted, and arena staff had to intervene to remove the animal from the court.

The world of sports has often witnessed amusing and strange occurrences – dogs and cats frequently invade the pitch, roosters roam football fields, and even birds have interrupted competitions. But an opossum at a volleyball match is a true rarity, happening perhaps once in a decade.

It's possible that this type of animal is common in the São Paulo area, but it remains a mystery how it managed to sneak into the hall during such an important match.

photo: X