Olympic Volleyball

[Critter's Pa]

Team USA starts their run for a repeat gold. Last 3 Olympic finishes: London 2012- Silver, Rio 2016- Bronze, Tokyo 2020- Gold.

The team:
#10 Jordan Larson, OH, 4 time Olympian, played at Nebraska
#23 Kelsey Robinson-Cook, OH, 3 time Olympian, played at Tennessee and Nebraska
#2 Jordyn Poulter, S, 2 time Olympian, played at Illinois
#4 Justine Wong-Orantes, Libero, 2 time Olympian, played at Nebraska
#11 Annie Drews, Opp, 2 time Olympian, played at Purdue
#12 Jordan Thompson, Opp, 2 time Olympian, played at Cincinnati (Yes, that Jordan Thompson that had 40something kills in one match against the Shockers)
#24 Chiaka Ogbogu, MB, 2 time Olympian, played at Texas
#15 Haleigh Washington, MB. 2 time Olympian, played at Penn State
#7 Lauren Carlini, S, 1st Olympics, played at Wisconsin
#22 Kathryn Plummer, OH, 1st Olympics, played at Stanford
#3 Avery Skinner, OH, 1st Olympics, played at Kentucky and Baylor
#16 Dana Rettke, MB, 1st Olympics, played at Wisconsin

Coach- Karch Kiraly

The short list of alternates are Micha Hancock-s, Morgan Hentz-libero, Sarah Wilhite Parsons-OH, Khalia Lanier-OH/Opp, Anna Stevenson Hall-MB. I have not seen which alternate traveled to Paris with the team.

Team USA is in Pool A with China, France and Serbia.
July 29 vs China 4pm CDT on NBC, 10pm CDT on USA network
July 31 vs Serbia 10am CDT on USA network, 4pm CDT on NBC
Aug 4 vs France 6am CDT on NBC, 4pm CDT on NBC

Quarterfinals- Aug 6. Looks like times could be from 2am CDT to 5pm CDT
Semifinals- Aug 8. From 9am CDT to 7pm CDT
Bronze finals- Aug 10 at 9:15am CDT
Gold finals- Aug 11 at 6 am CDT

I am kinda surprised that Jordan Larson is returning for another Olympics. I think she retired from playing professional volleyball a couple of years ago and was coaching last year. Glad she is there. Kelsey Robinson-Cook is probably the alternate for Libero if something happened to Justine Wong-Orantes and Morgan Hentz did not travel to Paris as the alternate. I really like this team's chances.

China will probably be the toughest team for the USA in this pool. Kelsey Robinson-Cook has played professionally in China. Serbia will probably have a really tough team as well. Not sure about how tough France will be and how much home field advantage will help them. None of the teams that made the Olympics will be cakewalks.

All things Team USA Volleyball can be found here:

[flyingMoose]

I am kinda surprised that Jordan Larson is returning for another Olympics.

[WuDrWu]

Anyone watching this morning? Who's on the PBP (that voice always reminds me of Karch Kiraly but I'm pretty sure he's our coach and not pulling double duty. Another '84 player?)

China is YUGE. And damned good. USA loses first set and didn't look like they had many answers for the Chinese.


What was up with that lift call on our last swing? Didn't make sense to me.

[flyingMoose]

Who's on the PBP?

Paul Sunderland, a long, long time PBP guy. He is always the PBP for significant volleyball matches (it seems).

[WuDrWu]

China, with their 6'5", 6'6", 6'7" front line, continue to ask all the questions, and the US has very few answers. The US has even gone to having Annie Drews attack opposite, out of the back row (which I can't remember seeing ever, certainly not in the women's game at the collegiate level) to try and get some 1 v 1 attacks and she's had some success, but the Chinese continue to serve stronger, dig better, hit stronger (and over our block) and most dominantly, absolutely block everything the US can swing at. 2 one v one quick middle stuff blocks turned the 2nd set into a run away. The US is about to be down 2-0 and it's really hard to see where they can get wins, consistently, vs this huge Chinese side.

And don't misunderstand me, these big girls are not stiffs at all. They are quick, can jump and adjust. They're super. 22-15 China up 1-0.

Jordan Thompson has been good, but she's just not getting enough swings, and when the rotation favors China, they have made the Americans pay dearly.

It's disturbing how many in system balls China has put down, and put down hard. Most of our points are coming off deflections. And there aren't that many of our points so far.

25-19 on to game 3 but it seems like a formality at this point.

[WuDrWu]

Paul Sunderland, a long, long time PBP guy. He is always the PBP for significant volleyball matches (it seems).

Thank you for that. I knew better than to think it was Karch (Paul was also on that '84 Olympic team that was my first dive into volleyball essentially) all these years. Paul is very good at what he does. Reminds me a little of Doc Emrick in hockey. Guys that are just uniquely superior at their sport of choice. Could listen to them call games 24/7.

[WuDrWu]

Is it just me or does anyone else think the Chinese are getting away with some questionable touches around the net (especially quicks and head to head net challenges)?

US had tipped for a couple of points, but the Chinese will adjust. We won't consistently score that way. US is sharper in the 3rd, but the 1st 2 sets were close until about 10-10 then the Chinese would start to pull away.

Timeout China with the US holding an 8-5 lead in the third.

Boom, hitting error then a kill and the US are up 10-5. China going to the bench.

[WuDrWu]

United States went younger and their "Slugger" lineup (according to Paul) and it's made a huge difference. Serving better has helped too, as China has struggled lately getting into system (when they are in system, they are lethal) and the US has responded with a resounding win in set 3 and is off to a fast start in set 4.

It does seem like China has their legs back up front and the US will certainly have to play at a very high level (as they did in set 3) to force a 5th set.

Avery Skinner out of the back row has been explosive. 6-5 US in the 4th.

[WuDrWu]

This match has been spectacular.

UNREAL point at 6-6 in the 5th, won on a stuff block by the Chinese.


China on a mini run to take the lead in the deciding set. The quality of play, especially the US defense and back row hitting (in addition to China's net dominance) has been top shelf.

7-7 and will change ends on the next point.

A US ace made it 8-7 at the switch but all China since then. 10-8 China. 11-8. US trying to tip, China swinging for the fences.

Drews tools the block for 11-9 but China buries the slide 12-9. Time running out for the US.

Solo stuffed the middle and it's 13-9. Drews scores again to slow the bleeding. 13-10. Net violation China 13-11.

China getting away with a ton all match imho. Challenging the call here. Nyet. Couldn't get the stuff. Killer. 14-11. Match points upcoming.

Drews keeps it alive tooling the block again. 14-12. Gotta keep China out of system here.

Overpass is stuffed back and it's 14-13.

China in system off the block and win the set and the match 15-13. High quality volleyball. Hope the US can advance but it will be tough now.

[WuDrWu]

Coming back from the 2-0 deficit means something.

You get 3 points for winning 3-0 or 3-1. Winning 3-2 is worth only 2 and losing 2-3 gets you 1 point.

Up next is probably the best team in the world in Serbia. Then France. 4 points as a 3rd place team in Group A might be enough to advance to the bracket. Getting that 1 point today is definitely worth something.

The top 2 in each of the three pools advance plus the next 2 best 3rd place teams. 4 points I think would be enough to get in. But, lots of work to do now.

[Critter's Pa]

Got to watch the last two (or parts of) sets on NBC. Where did you go to see the whole game in real time? I was going off the times in the link. I knew it was going to be tape delayed, but they really chopped it down. Better than nothing, I guess.

I did get to see some highlights from the first three sets. It looked like there was a change at setter, twice, Poulter to Carlini then back to Poulter. Was that a performance thing, or was coach trying to shake things up? (or was I seeing things?) I think Robinson-Cook was called for a throw at the end of set two. I didn't see Rettke on the court, I thought her height would be helpful against China. Skinner was solid and Plummer hammered a few balls

The US has even gone to having Annie Drews attack opposite, out of the back row (which I can't remember seeing ever, certainly not in the women's game at the collegiate level) to try and get some 1 v 1 attacks and she's had some success, ...

I wish that I could remember the team, but I did watch a collegiate game last year in which the team ran this play often with a lot of success. At first I thought it was a one-off, but it appeared to be a staple of their offence. Thank goodness we had that in the playbook and a player that could do it, or the match might have been a bit shorter.

[WuDrWu]

The Americans looking very sharp this morning vs Serbia. It's just 2 sets in but the takeaway so far is

A) The Americans learned from the match vs the Chinese and have gotten better in their approach, and just plainly have played better today.

B) I'm trying to be fair in my assessment, but man China is good. Serbia is talented, and the 2 time defending world champions, but they don't appear to be in the same class as China. At least not from what I've seen so far.

Up 2-0, the USA has clinched another point, and given that Serbia swept France earlier and the French just don't have the talent to compete with the US, Serbia or China, the US appear to be in great shape to advance to the bracket round.

2-2 in the 3rd, Annie Drews just obliterated a ball at 97 KM/H.

Avery Skinner out of the back row is just wow.

I don't know what it would cost to employ the system of calling lines and net touches that they're using here, but it's awesome and they get it right pretty much 100% and it takes almost no time.

The quality of play is very high again today, especially the Americans who have been spectacular.

7-6 in the 3rd.

[WuDrWu]

Serbia exerts their will on the Americans in the 3rd. They went on a run mid set and really never looked back. The American block got going late but too little, too late. 25-20 and on to the 4th.

Serbia playing much better but the Americans are really discombobulated right now. Looking like we'll need a 5th to win.

[WuDrWu]

Falling behind early in the 4th, the Americans seemed to tank a bit, saving legs for the 5th. They needed it to pull out the match 17-15 in the 5th. Gutty win to say the least.

The US now have 3 points with the France match remaining. Only a complete and unforeseeable collapse would keep them from advancing to the bracket round.

[Critter's Pa]

Didn't get to watch the match except for the second half of the 5th set, but I did follow along with the scores on my phone. Looked like we were doing really well in the first two sets, then it went bad.

Saw that Micha Hancock is now the second setter because Carlini is out with an injury. Glad they had her come as the alternate. Poulter's knee brace reminds me of the one that Civita wore.
She even came in as a serving substitute. She has a nasty jump serve.

Got a couple days off before we play France. I believe France got an automatic qualifier because they were the host country. I think every team in the pool is going to get three points against them. We will have enough points to advance, but our ranking in the pool will be decided by the China/Serbia matchup.