|
|
Tuesday, September 26
U.S. finesse finally puts away South Korea
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- If the U.S. women's volleyball team
goes on to win a medal, South Korea should at least get a few
shavings.
The Americans, going toe to toe with the best defensive team at
the Olympics, prevailed in an incredibly close five-game match and
advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 1992.
|  | | Danielle Scott sets to spike the ball against the South Korean defense. |
The teams went back and forth for more than two hours, but
ultimately it was a contested call that decided the 26-24, 17-25,
25-23, 25-27, 16-14 victory Tuesday.
After Logan Tom dropped in a dink over the block to end a
typically long rally and give the U.S. team a 15-14 lead, South
Korea's Ku Min-Jung fired a ball down the left line that the
official called out. The South Koreans protested, but the Americans
jumped up and down in celebration.
The Americans will face Russia in the semifinals.
Tom and Danielle Scott had most of the big hits for the
Americans, getting 46 kills between them. But Kerri Walsh, a former
teammate of Tom's at Stanford who had just recovered from an
injury, was the key. Normally a blocker, she came in to disrupt the
South Koreans with her hitting, and she also turned a stint at
setter for a while.
Walsh made two spectacular plays that helped the U.S. team come
back from a 12-9 deficit in the fifth game, which in this match was
a huge lead.
After Scott scored points with a kill and block, Walsh chased
down a hopelessly wide ball near the U.S. bench. Tom ended up with
the winner to tie it.
On the next play, Walsh dove to get an index finger on a spike,
and Tom wound up with the kill again.
The U.S. team said the day before the match that it would have
to be mentally strong enough to weather some long points, but they
couldn't have predicted such a marathon.
Each game had its own drama, with the difference between the
teams so slight that one hand on the ball was enough to decide
crucial points.
The United States jumped to a 6-1 lead to start the match behind
the leaping shots of Tom, who had seven kills in the opening game.
Tied at 24, the Americans squeezed out the win when Tara
Cross-Battle dropped in a dink over the block and Heather Bown got
a service ace.
South Korea couldn't have played better in the second game,
jumping to a 10-4 lead and keeping the pressure on.
The South Koreans, in addition to having the quickness to chase
down balls other teams can't, have a creative offense that uses all
their hitters at all front-row positions. Setter Kang Hye-Mi varied
the speed and height of her feeds to teammates, and South Korea
kept the Americans off-balance all game.
The United States came back by turning to Walsh, who sat out the
first two matches of group play recovering from an ankle injury
suffered in the Grand Prix last month, to attack on the wings. She
was shaky at times, but ultimately it jump-started the U.S. attack.
With more depth among the hitters, the Americans never trailed
past the first few points of the third, but it was close anyway.
South Korea saved two game points to get within 24-23, but Walsh
delivered a stinging smash from the right side for the winner.
Setter Robyn Ah Mow had Scott on her left but went to Walsh
instead, and it worked.
The Americans had to scratch and claw to get back into the
fourth game, only to lose it at the end. South Korea led 24-21 but
the U.S. team ran off three straight points. The South Koreans
forged ahead, and Chung Sun-Hye drove a shot past Walsh and Bown to
square the match.
|  | |
|
