PARIS — First, let’s get the match out of the way in which.
Italy steamrolled the USA and the 25-18, 25-20, 25-17 scoreline doesn’t inform the entire story, like Paola Egonu’s 18 kills or an 11-0 — actually, 11-0 — blocks benefit or that the USA scored three factors in a row simply as soon as in all the match, in the course of the primary set.
What’s extra, Italy, which misplaced only one set in six matches, took residence the Paris Olympics gold medal for ladies’s volleyball with a merely dominating efficiency.
However the USA didn’t lose the gold medal. It gained silver, and taking a look at it some other manner simply wouldn’t be proper or truthful to a workforce that persevered and peaked on the proper time.
“It simply powerful. We’ve a lot that we’re pleased with from this match however out of the three medalist groups it’s the one one which finishes the match with a loss,” USA coach Karch Kiraly mentioned. “So there’s a bittersweet half to that.”
It nonetheless marked the fifth medal in as many Olympics for the USA, after profitable silver in 2008 in Beijing, silver in 2012 in London, bronze in 2016 in Rio and gold in 2021 in Tokyo.
“Any time you may go away the Olympics with a medal, whatever the coloration, it’s good for America and this program,” setter Jordyn Poulter mentioned. “You realize, I feel now we have an expectation in the USA that it’s best to win gold and it needs to be straightforward. Nevertheless it’s not a straightforward feat to medal on the Olympics and I’m actually pleased with how our workforce was capable of present up for a extremely tough pool and transfer by way of and into the knockouts and performed on the ultimate day of the Olympics.”
Which, it needs to be famous, ended earlier than 3 p.m. native time, however with media obligations and household time, there was going to be a brief window till heading out.
That’s as a result of the USA gamers have a 4:30 a.m. bus Monday to the airport to fly to New York, the place Tuesday they’re going to be on the In the present day Present, be a part of an occasion on the Empire State Constructing and extra. And, it needs to be famous, thank goodness, as a result of the gold-medal victory in Tokyo had no such fanfare.
However coach Kiraly and his workers — which incorporates NCAA coaches Alfee Reft (UCLA) and Erin Advantage (Michigan), who need to get to work on their respective campuses — have a special agenda Monday.
“I get to be on the ‘flag flight,’ which is passing the Olympic flag from Paris. It’s getting flown to Los Angeles,” Kiraly mentioned. “A few of us attending to journey with the flag to Los Angeles. How unbelievable is that?”
OK, again to the match, which was not unbelievable for the USA.
“We didn’t have sufficient solutions for Italy right now they usually have been simply too good,” Kiraly mentioned. “They have been clearly the category of this match.”
Egonu, the alternative, had not solely these 18 kills but additionally 4 blocks. Exterior Myriam Sylla had eight kills and two aces. Exterior Catarina Bosetti had seven kills, a block, and an ace and center Sarah Fahr had six kills and a block. Anna Danesi had two kills and 4 blocks and Antropova had 4 kills, a block and an ace. Alessia Orro had three aces as Italy totaled seven and the USA had three.
“When Catarina Bosetti, she’s hitting below .200 for the match, I don’t know what she hit right now, but it surely was some astronomical quantity,” Kiraly mentioned. “And that’s an indication that we weren’t doing a great job on blocking protection, that even their weakest participant went off on us. Horrible blocking efficiency.”
Bosette had seven kills in 11 swings with one error. Egonu had 4 errors in 40 assaults.
Jordan Thompson led the USA with eight kills and 6 digs and Avery Skinner had seven. Annie Drews had 5 and so did Jordan Larson.
Larson performed admirably after having to embrace a brand new position. She and Kelsey Robinson Prepare dinner began as exterior hitters within the first match of the match in opposition to China, however have been quickly relegated to super-sub roles. Towards Italy, with Plummer struggling, Larson had 5 of these kills and in addition six digs.
4 extra years?
“No,” she mentioned emphatically with a smile. “Might I do it? For positive, I actually consider I might. However I’m good. No.”
Larson must get again to her day job as assistant coach at her alma mater, Nebraska.
‘New York and them I’m in apply the following day,” Larson mentioned “I’m actually excited to assist our women. I’ve been watching loads of video and it fires me as much as get again to them.”
Haleigh Washington had 4 kills and the opposite center, Chiaka Ogbogu had three.
“I do know lots of people are in all probability upset and dissatisfied as a result of it is probably not the colour we wished, however 5 Olympics in a row of bringing residence {hardware},” Washington mentioned. “And bringing residence {hardware} generally. So many individuals have been counting us out these Olympics however I feel we simply floor our manner by way of it. I’m simply so pleased with the grit and resilience of those girls.
“And {hardware} is {hardware}.”
She confirmed off her silver medal,
“It’s simply as heavy because the gold,” Washington mentioned with fun. “It’s just a little extra shiny, I feel.”
Brazil tops Türkiye for ladies’s bronze
After the French completed celebrating their males’s gold-medal victory Saturday, Brazil beat Türkiye 25-21, 27-25, 22-25, 25-15.
Gabi Guimarraes led with 22 kills, 5 blocks and an ace and Thaisa, who mentioned after this marked the top of her national-team profession, had eight kills, seven blocks and two aces. Ana Cristina Souza had 9 kllls, three blocks and an ace, and Rosamaria Montebiller had 10 kills.
Melissa Vargas had 22 kills, three blocks and an ace for Türkiye. Vargas completed atop the match kills record with 145, properly forward of second-place Gabi, who had 97. Derya Cebecioglu added 12 kills and two aces and Erdem Dundar had six kills and 7 blocks.
It marked the third time Brazil gained bronze (1996, 2000). It additionally gained gold in 2008 and 2012 and silver in 2021 when it misplaced to the USA within the ultimate.
Averill tops males’s blockers
USA center Taylor Averill led the lads’s match with 16 blocks, one forward of Germany’s Gyorgy Grozer and Italy’s Gianluca Galassi.
Italy’s Yuri Romano led with 88 kills, adopted by Wilfredo Leon of Poland with 81. The USA’s Matt Anderson was third with 80 and Aaron Russell fourth with 78. Leon additionally led with 15 aces, 4 forward of Japan’s Yuju Nishida Antoine Brizard of France.
All you want is LOVB
Of the 15 USA gamers right here, 9 are headed to the brand new league that begins in January. That features a few who’re almost definitely completed with national-team play, together with Drews, Larson and Robinson Prepare dinner.
Additionally headed to LOVB as an alternative of going again abroad are Ogbogu, Poulter, Thompson, Washington, libero Justine Wong-Orantes and setter Lauren Carlini. Official alternate Micha Hancock — who changed Carlini for 2 matches — and Anna Stevenson Corridor, who was right here with the workforce for practices, are additionally headed to LOVB.
Plummer and center Dana Rettke are leaving their Italian workforce and headed to Eczacıbaşı Dynavitin in Türkiye and Skinner will return to her Italian workforce, Reale Mutua Fenera Chieri.
And USA assistant Tama Miyashiro would be the coach of LOVB Salt Lake.
