ARLINGTON, Texas — A Volleyball Nations League that began with a lot promise led to frustration for the USA girls as they misplaced in 5 to Poland on Sunday within the bronze-medal match.
“We’re proud that our workforce emptied the tank and we tried each attainable reply and got here shut,” USA coach Karch Kiraly mentioned, “however this can be a bitter disappointment. We have to use this to get higher for our the subsequent match, for the Olympic qualifier, and for subsequent yr.”
The People regularly rallied all through the 25-15, 16-25, 25-19, 18-25, 17-15 defeat.
And Kiraly tried all the things, together with a whole change of the lineup after the primary set.
“It felt like there have been loads of massive momentum swings and it was anyone’s recreation at any level,” veteran reverse Annie Drews mentioned. “On the finish it may have gone both approach.”
That’s for positive, as a result of within the fifth set, top-seeded Poland, which completed the match 12-3 and was coming off a semifinals loss to China, constructed a 6-2 lead and was nonetheless up 10-8 when issues received attention-grabbing. Second-seeded USA (11-4), coming off a loss to Türkiye, tied it for the primary time at 11-11 on a hitting error by Magdalena Stysiak, who had workforce highs of 20 kills and in addition 9 errors.
The match was tied 4 extra occasions as each groups had a combination of massive performs and unforced errors. The USA took its first lead at 14-13 on an incredible kill by Drews that pressured Poland right into a timeout. However Poland tied it on an enormous kill by Stysiak.
The USA received one other lead at 15-14 when Martyna Lukasik served into the online, however Stysiak tied it once more after which gave her workforce match level with back-to-back kills.
Poland received it when Agniesszka Korneluk blocked Drews and the celebration was on. It was Poland’s first VNL medal
In contrast to different groups right here, the People will disperse individually to their houses and get a few weeks off earlier than reuniting in Anaheim subsequent month. Subsequent up is the “FIVB Highway to Paris Olympic” qualifying match in Poland in September.
Avery Skinner, who entered within the second set, led the USA with 15 kills, three blocks and 5 digs. Drews had 9 kills, a block and three digs. Middles Chiaka Ogbogu and Asjia O’Neal every had 4 kills, 4 blocks and an an ace. Robinson Cook dinner had six kills and 7 digs and Jordan Thompson 5 kills and 6 digs.
Micha Hancock after which Lauren Carlini made her VNL debut late within the first set. Hancock had two aces, the second as a serving sub that pulled the USA to 8-7 within the fifth set. Carlini had two kills, seven digs and a block.
“It was unhappy we couldn’t provide you with it ultimately,” Carlini mentioned. ” … The comeback particularly within the fifth was nice and we had match level. That’s one thing we’re going to work on over this subsequent coaching block, executing when it issues.”
Libero Justine Wong-Orantes had 12 digs and was changed by Morgan Hentz within the fifth set and she or he had 4 digs.
All 14 USA gamers noticed motion within the match performed earlier than a crowd of 4,402 at School Park Middle on the campus of the College of Texas-Arlington.
“I feel your guess is nearly as good as mine on who our beginning lineup is,” Drews mentioned. “That’s a blessing and a curse of our workforce. At occasions I feel it reveals that we’re continuously shifting in people who find themselves very succesful. We hold defining our puzzle and it’s going to return collectively fairly properly.”
Stysiak had a block and two aces and 10 digs to go together with her 20 kills.
“We had by no means received a medal within the VNL and I’m actually completely happy and proud,” Stysiak mentioned. “I need to congratulate the People for his or her efficiency too. Now we have loads of respect for them, however we confirmed at the moment that after we play as a workforce, we are able to beat anybody.
“For me, it’s a dream to win this medal. We all know how a lot we labored for this and it’s wonderful to have accomplished it. We wished it a lot.”
Lukasik had 12 kills, a block and an ace and Olivia Rozanski had 10 kills, three blocks and an ace. Korneluk had 9 kills, three blocks and an ace and Magdalena Jurczyk had eight kills and two blocks. Maria Stenzel had 17 digs.
“There was loads of emotion and a very exhausting match,” Rozanski mentioned. “We all know that enjoying the USA within the USA is even tougher. However we fought to the tip.”
If this match is a harbinger, the race to the Olympics, beginning with the subsequent match, must be one thing else. The USA, by the best way, performs Poland on September 23, in Lodz, Poland. Earlier in VNL, the USA beat Poland on June 28 in one of many closest, longest matches of the VNL marketing campaign, 17-25, 25-15, 27-25, 28-30, 16-14.
Sunday, Poland had 63-50 kills benefit, the USA led in blocks 14-11, and Poland had seven aces and 14 errors and the USA 5 aces and 11 errors.
“Actually, the best way the groups approached the competitors was fully totally different,” Poland coach Stefano Lavarini mentioned.
“The highest groups used the competitors, in my view, to do some experimenting and provides expertise to some gamers. However there have been others, groups like us, having the purpose of needing to care about Olympic qualification and FIVB rating. So we would have liked to place lots on the VNL.
“That in all probability balanced the competitors slightly bit, however on the similar time give some medium groups to get extra confidence and be much more aggressive.”
The primary serve in volleyball within the Paris Olympics is on July 27, 2024.
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The end was price $180,000 for the USA. Poland received $300,000. Within the gold-medal match later between Türkiye and China, the winner was enjoying for $1 million and the loser $500,000. The overall purse was $2.3 million.
