Olympics
July 31, 2024
PARIS — There isn’t any rule that USA Volleyball groups must go 5 in these Olympics.
However …
Monday, the USA girls misplaced the primary two units to China and received the subsequent two earlier than dropping in 5.
Tuesday, the USA males went up 2-0 on Germany and needed to maintain on for a five-set victory.
After which Wednesday, the USA girls got here out and utterly overpowered Serbia within the first two units. A sweep? No means, as a result of finally the People needed to come away with a 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 17-15 victory.
“It was a enjoyable puzzle to resolve. Issues had been going fairly simply within the first two, however then the actual work begins when Serbia begins enjoying the way in which they’re able to enjoying,” USA coach Karch Kiraly mentioned. “That’s a very, actually good staff throughout the web with one of many world’s finest gamers.”
That’s for positive, as a result of left-handed reverse Tijana Boskovic had 27 kills, two blocks, two aces and 7 digs. However extra on her later.
The USA was up 14-11 when Serbia sided out. It was 14-13 on Maja Aleksic’s block of Kathryn Plummer. And the lead was squandered when the People utterly botched the subsequent possession.
“We are able to’t even get it over the web,” Kiraly mentioned, shaking his head. “It was 13-year-old membership volleyball at 14-13. And that’s killer as a result of we’ve got Annie (Drews), we’ve got Plum, what we’ve got to do is put the ball 20 ft within the air and set Plum on the left or Annie on the precise and we might neither.
“These are the robust moments of teaching, when all people is aware of what to do however it’s the Olympics and it’s not at all times straightforward to do. We needed to do it the actually laborious means.”
It was, certainly, a 14-14 intestine test, as a result of the USA, had it misplaced the match, more than likely was not going to get out of pool play into the quarterfinals.
“These are the massive moments and that’s what the Olympic Video games are all about,” USA center Haleigh Washington mentioned. “How do you reply within the large moments. At one level I used to be on the internet and thought that that is going to who can play the cleanest volleyball the longest.”
Drews received a kill to offer the USA a 15-14 lead, however Boskovic received her final kill of the match.
The People went up 16-15 on one other kill by Drews after which survived a gritty remaining level that included glowing protection by groups, together with an enormous dig by setter Jordyn Poulter, earlier than Serbia’s Aleksandra Uzelac hit out of bounds to finish it.
“And right here we’re, fortunate in some methods to win that,” Kiraly mentioned.
Drews led the USA with 15 kills — 5 within the fifth set — 4 digs and a block.
“There are such a lot of nuances to pool play with this format and also you by no means know what’s going to occur and it’s totally different than ever earlier than,” Drews mentioned. “However clearly getting two wins places you in a strong place. However I believe much more than advancing, there’s an emotional piece, telling ourselves that we’re able to pulling out an enormous match. That’s one thing we haven’t accomplished a lot as we want to this Olympic cycle, so emotionally it was a superb night time to up our perception.”
The staff has an enormous break earlier than ending pool play Sunday in opposition to France, an virtually positive victory.
“Hopefully we will notch a win in opposition to France and be in an affordable spot,” Kiraly mentioned. “W’s right here don’t harm our trigger.”
Center Chiaka Ogbogu was large, developing with eight blocks and 6 kills. And first-time Olympian Avery Skinner not solely had 11 kills and two blocks, however got here up large on Boskovic time after time by getting touches on her assaults. She additionally had 5 digs.
“Each bone in (Skinner’s) physique is athletic and succesful and it’s actually particular once you watch her simply belief her intestine,” Drews mentioned.
“Avery has stepped up a lot on this event it’s been an honor watching her play,” mentioned Washington, who had 5 kills, 4 blocks and an ace herself.
Setter Jordyn Poulter had a block, an ace and eight digs, and libero Justine Wong-Orantes had 11 digs — some spectacular within the fifth — and made some sturdy out-of-system units.
“We knew how essential this match was when it comes to factors to advance to the subsequent stage,” Ogbogu mentioned. “I’m simply pleased with how we buckled down and stayed gritty in direction of the tip.”
Not solely did Boskovic get hers, Uzelac had 12 kills, a block and an ace, Katerina Lazovic had 10 kills a block and an ace, Aleksic completed with 5 kills and 6 blocks, and Jovana Stevanovic had six kills and three blocks.
“Two actually, actually nice groups. I imply, Olympic champion and world champion, we might count on it to be intense like this,” Aleksic mentioned. “We actually loved and the spectators loved it, I might hear that. The USA staff, they fought actually, actually actually good. I hope we are going to meet once more.”
A few of them will, it doesn’t matter what.
The USA’s Plummer, who’s 6-foot-6, and 6-8 center Dana Rettke are becoming a member of 6-4 Boskovic’s and 6-3 Stevanovic’s membership staff, Dynavit Explosion in Istanbul, subsequent season.
“We’ll have a reasonably large entrance row,” Plummer understated.
Serbia, which opened by beating France, finishes pool play Sunday in opposition to China.
Micha Hancock responds to the decision
The USA performed with out setter Lauren Carlini, injured both throughout or because the USA’s opening five-set loss to China on Monday. It pressured Kiraly to inform his official alternate, Micha Hancock, she was changing her. And with the USA persevering with to do its double-sub — the backup setter for Drews and Thompson for Poulter — Hancock was thrown proper into the combination. After all, she was on the roster in Tokyo and stuffed in for Poulter when she sprained her ankle.
“Each single particular person contributed, however I wish to give particular props to Micha,” Kiraly mentioned. “Till yesterday at 2 o’clock she is pondering, ‘I’m right here to be prepared and again up however I’m not gonna be sporting a uniform. And 27 hours later she’s subbing in and enjoying for us in every of these 5 units. So it’s an enormous credit score to her.
“She has stayed engaged in a tough position. It’s actually laborious to remain engaged and current when you will have so little hope of really sporting a uniform. However she’s contributing in so some ways and he or she made us higher tonight. She was prepared for it and plenty of folks won’t have been.”
Kiraly mentioned even Carlini wasn’t positive when she received harm and “we don’t know the way lengthy it would final. She would have been unable to enter the sport at this time.”
Poland, Japan win in males’s Olympic volleyball
Poland (2-0) got here away with a five-set Pool B win over Brazil (0-2) on Wednesday to begin the day after which in Pool B, the identical because the USA, Japan (1-1) beat Argentina (0-2) in 4.
Poland clinched its spot within the quarterfinals with its 22-25, 25-19, 19-25, 25-23, 15-12 victory. Wilfredo Leon, celebrating his thirty first birthday, led with 21 kills, two blocks and three aces and a team-high eight digs.
“To come back and play right now, it isn’t really easy,” Leon famous of the 9 a.m. begin, “however we made an amazing comeback for this match. It was tough for each groups.”
Jakub Kochanowski had 11 kills, two blocks and two aces, Bartosz Kurek had eight kills, a block and two aces, and Kamil Semeniuk had 10 kills and and ace. Mateusz Bienek added six kills, a block and three aces and Norbert Huber had two kills, two blocks and three aces.
Poland finishes pool play in opposition to Italy, whereas Brazil faces Egypt. Brazil will definitely beat Egypt after which has to hope for the very best to get into the quarterfinals.
Adriano Fernandes had 16 kills and two blocks for Brazil and Ricard Lucarelli had 16 kills, a block and an ace. Darlan Ferreira had a team-best 17 kills, Yoandy Leal had seven kills, a block and an ace, and Lucas Saatkamp had six kills and two blocks.
“It was an unbelievable match,” mentioned Brazil’s Bruno Mossa. “What else can I say? We performed a very excessive degree in opposition to a very nice staff, the most effective groups on this planet.
“I’m pleased with the combat. We might have performed higher within the fourth set, and misplaced loads of counter-attacks. We now must relaxation and give attention to our subsequent match in opposition to Egypt.”
Japan bounced again from its first-match loss to Germany with a 25-18, 25-22, 18-25, 25-23 victory over Argentina, which misplaced to the USA within the first match. Yuji Nishida led with 16 kills and 5 aces. Ran Takahashi had 9 kills, two blocks and three aces. Taishi Onodera added 11 kills and a block and Uuki Ishikawa had 10 kills and a block.
Argentina’s Facundo Conte had 17 kills, a block and an ace. Bruno Lima had 14 kills, a block and an ace.
“We’re virtually out, I wish to cry,” Argentina’s Loser Agustin mentioned. “We had excessive expectations and the primary sport we performed was unhealthy. In the present day was a superb match however they performed a lot better.
“It’s so tough to talk now. We gave every little thing we’ve got, however it wasn’t sufficient.”
***
Within the final match Wednesday, the Poland (1-0) girls performed Kenya (0-2) in Pool B in a near-certain Poland victory.
Thursday’s Paris Olympics volleyball schedule
Each USA groups have the break day. There are 4 matches, all girls’s. The occasions are native and Paris is six hours forward of the U.S. Jap time zone and 9 forward of Pacific:
9 a.m. — Türkiye (1-0) vs. Dominican Republic (0-1), Pool C
1 p.m. — Brazil (1-0) vs. Japan (0-1), Pool B
5 p.m. — Italy (1-0) vs Netherlands (0-1), Pool C
9 p.m. — France (0-1) vs. China (1-0), Pool A
