PARIS — All issues thought of — and there was rather a lot to think about — the USA males will take it.
After which some.
In a match eerily much like the one their USA girls counterparts misplaced on Monday, the People got here away with a 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 20-25, 15-11 victory Tuesday over Germany and clinched a spot within the Paris Olympics quarterfinals.
Which, within the grand scheme of issues, is all that issues, particularly for a staff that remembers all too effectively three years in the past in Tokyo. That’s when the USA beat France in its first match after which didn’t get out of pool play, and France went on to win gold.
On this case, after sweeping Argentina on Saturday and holding off the Germans when it mattered most, that whooshing sound popping out of Area Paris Sud 1 was a deep exhale combined in with exuberance.
“Coming again within the fifth … It was enormous,” veteran reverse Matt Anderson stated. “It was for us to have that take a look at within the Olympics and get slightly extra perception into what it’s wish to win an Olympic recreation below stress.”
The USA finishes Pool C play Friday in opposition to Japan with an eye fixed on bettering its seed within the quarterfinals. Japan performs Argentina on Wednesday.
The fifth set was a roller-coaster experience. Germany went forward 5-4 and coach John Speraw known as time and his staff responded in an enormous approach. Libero Erik Shoji got here up with a cross off off a serve by Gyorgy Grozer measured at 121 kilometers per hour, Micah Christenson made an off-balance set, and Anderson delivered the kill.
That introduced Max Holt, whom coach John Speraw calls “Sunshine,” to the service line and the center buried an ace. After which he did it once more, portray the precise sideline close to the nook and abruptly it was 7-5 USA. It was 8-5 on Taylor Averill’s stuff block of Mortiz Karlitzek, which pressured Germany right into a timeout.
It didn’t assist, as a result of Aaron Russell got here flying out of the again row for a kill after which did it once more to make it 10-5.
“I used to be telling Micah they’re not me, they’re watching our middles or the pins and I instructed him to search for me and he trusted me in that state of affairs and I’m completely satisfied he gave me a superb state of affairs to spike,” Russell stated.
Germany used its closing timeout and at last broke Holt’s service run with a kill by Karlitzek.
“We want slightly one thing and I occurred to be that man in the present day,” Holt stated.
Issues received dicey when Germany scored three extra factors, however after Speraw known as time once more, Lukas Maase served into the online. That was, in essence, Germany’s final probability. Russell received a kill to make it 13-9 and TJ DeFalco aced the Germans to make it 14-9.
Germany scored two factors.
After two German factors, the match ended with Johannes Tille serving into the online. The USA completed with 11 service aces, whereas Germany had six.
“Our guys began out nice, they made some modifications and shifted the vitality fairly a bit, however for us to return again and make these performs we made within the fifth, it’s arduous when a staff has all that momentum and also you’ve received to return again,” Speraw stated. “Within the fifth set we did.”
DeFalco led with 18 kills, two blocks and two aces and had six digs. Russell had 15 kills and an ace to go together with eight digs and Anderson had 11 kills, a block, two aces and 5 digs. The bubbling Holt had 9 kills, two blocks and two aces and Averill had 5 kills, three blocks and 4 aces as he continued to glitter in his Olympics debut. He had six kills in six swings in opposition to Argentina and two blocks.
Libero Erik Shoji had 5 digs and Christenson had a kill and three digs.
“I believe it was an important take a look at of our staff’s resiliency and talent to climate a storm,” Anderson stated. “Germany has a whole lot of firepower. They’ve a whole lot of guys who can return and put a whole lot of stress on us on the serve and so they’re high-ball attacking, they’re bodily, robust dudes who’re hitting some fairly unimaginable photographs. You will be in the perfect place in block and protection and nonetheless be overpowered. Typically there are issues you’ll be able to’t cease and so they performed very effectively.”
Germany, which opened with an upset of Japan and finishes pool play Friday in opposition to Argentina, received 19 kills from Karlitzek, who had two aces. Grozer had 12 kills, two blocks and two ace, Anton Brehme had 10 kills, 4 blocks and an ace and Moritz Reichert had 11 kills and an ace.
“It was irritating as a result of we misplaced the sport, however to return again after two units we performed fairly good volleyball and confirmed fairly good character,” Brehme stated. “We have to look forward and win in opposition to Argentina.”
Additionally at Area Paris Sud 1 Tuesday
Italy (2-0) opened with a sweep of Egypt (0-2) in Pool B. Daniele Lavia had 11 kills, a block and two aces within the 25-15-25-16, 25-20 victory. Yuri Romano added 13 kills and an ace and Alessandro Michieletto had seven kills, a block and three aces.
Later, Slovenia performed Serbia and France confronted Canada in Pool A.
Wednesday’s Olympics volleyball schedule
The USA girls play Serbia in a possible must-win after they tackle Serbia at 5 p.m. Paris time.
The People are coming off that brutally robust five-set defeat Monday to China in Pool A. Theirs is the one Pool A match of the day. Learn that story right here.
Motion begins within the morning with Poland vs. Brazil in males’s Pool B, adopted by Japan vs. Argentina.
The final match pits Poland vs. Kenya in girls’s Pool B.
Badgers, Badgers, Badgers
There are many USA Volleyball followers right here.
Wisconsin coach Kelly Sheffield received his program’s supporters out in drive Monday earlier than the USA performed China. He’s right here together with his spouse and two daughters to assist not solely Workforce USA, however two of his former gamers, setter Lauren Carlini and center Dana Rettke.
Like the opposite NCAA girls’s coaches who got here to the Olympics, Sheffield has to depart after the primary week, as a result of the season looms giant. Wisconsin performs its season opener August 27 at Louisville.
The gathering Monday incuded not solely Carlini and Rettke members of the family, however these of Stanford’s Kathryn Plummer, and a handful of others.
Sheffield then took this picture with former gamers and one who’s becoming a member of this system this season, setter Charlie Feurbringer. Her father Matt is a USA males’s assistant coach.
Charlie Fuerbringer, Jordan Robbins and Kelly Sheffield.
