Olympics
July 31, 2024
PARIS — There is no such thing as a rule that USA Volleyball groups should go 5 in these Olympics.
However …
Monday, the USA ladies 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 ladies 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 have been going fairly simply within the first two, however then the true work begins when Serbia begins taking part in the way in which they’re able to taking part in,” USA coach Karch Kiraly stated. “That’s a very, actually good group throughout the web with one of many world’s greatest 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 stated, shaking his head. “It was 13-year-old membership volleyball at 14-13. And that’s killer as a result of now we have Annie (Drews), now we have Plum, what now we have to do is put the ball 20 toes within the air and set Plum on the left or Annie on the appropriate and we might neither.
“These are the powerful moments of teaching, when everyone is aware of what to do but it surely’s the Olympics and it’s not at all times straightforward to do. We needed to do it the actually exhausting means.”
It was, certainly, a 14-14 intestine verify, as a result of the USA, had it misplaced the match, most probably was not going to get out of pool play into the quarterfinals.
“These are the large moments and that’s what the Olympic Video games are all about,” USA center Haleigh Washington stated. “How do you reply within the massive moments. At one level I used to be on the web and thought that that is going to who can play the cleanest volleyball the longest.”
Drews acquired a kill to present the USA a 15-14 lead, however Boskovic acquired her final kill of the match.
The People went up 16-15 on one other kill by Drews after which survived a gritty last 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 stated.
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 completely different than ever earlier than,” Drews stated. “However clearly getting two wins places you in a strong place. However I feel 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 great evening to up our perception.”
The group 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 stated. “W’s right here don’t harm our trigger.”
Center Chiaka Ogbogu was big, developing with eight blocks and 6 kills. And first-time Olympian Avery Skinner not solely had 11 kills and two blocks, got here up massive 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 while you watch her simply belief her intestine,” Drews stated.
“Avery has stepped up a lot on this event it’s been an honor watching her play,” stated 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 by way of factors to advance to the subsequent stage,” Ogbogu stated. “I’m simply pleased with how we buckled down and stayed gritty in direction of the top.”
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 stated. “We actually loved and the spectators loved it, I might hear that. The USA group, 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 group, Dynavit Explosion in Istanbul, subsequent season.
“We’ll have a fairly 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 for the reason that USA’s opening, five-set loss to China on Monday. It compelled 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. In fact, she was on the roster in Tokyo and stuffed in for Poulter when she sprained her ankle.
“Each single individual contributed, however I wish to give particular props to Micha,” Kiraly stated. “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 taking part in for us in every of these 5 units. So it’s an enormous credit score to her.
“She has stayed engaged in a difficut position. It’s actually exhausting to remain engaged and current when you could have so little hope of truly 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 stated even Carlini wasn’t positive when she acquired harm and “we don’t know the way lengthy it would final. She would have been unable to enter the sport immediately.”
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 return and play at the moment, it isn’t really easy,” Leon famous of the 9 a.m. begin, “however we made an amazing comeback for this match. It was troublesome 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 most effective 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,” stated Brazil’s Bruno Mossa. “What else can I say? We performed a very excessive stage in opposition to a very nice group, among the finest groups on this planet.
“I’m pleased with the struggle. We might have performed higher within the fourth set, and misplaced plenty of counter-attacks. We now should relaxation and concentrate on 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 stated. “We had excessive expectations and the primary recreation we performed was unhealthy. Right this moment was a great match however they performed a lot better.
“It’s so troublesome to talk now. We gave all the pieces now we have, but it surely wasn’t sufficient.”
***
Within the final match Wednesday, the Poland (1-0) ladies performed Kenya (0-2) in Pool B in a near-certain Poland victory.
Thursday’s Paris Olympics volleyball schedule
Each USA groups have the time without work. There are 4 matches, all ladies’s. The instances 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
