PARIS, France, August 2, 2024.- The U.S. Men’s National Team earned a top three seed in the quarterfinals of the Paris Olympics and finished 3-0 to win Pool B with a 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19) win over Japan on Friday. By winning the third set, Japan clinched its first Olympic quarterfinal appearance since Barcelona in 1992.
With Japan taking the eighth spot and final spot, the quarterfinal field has been decided with seedings and matchups to be determined after the Poland-Italy pool play match tomorrow. The quarterfinals will take place on Monday, August 5.
“Huge turnaround from three years ago,” head coach John Speraw said about going undefeated in pool play. “Years ago Doug Beal (former USA Volleyball CEO and head coach of the 1984 Olympic Men’s Volleyball Team that won gold) told me this tournament has three different phases, one is pool play. Then the quarterfinal match by itself is phase two and then the third phase is can you get into a medal match. We’re feeling good about where we’re at right now.”
The U.S. held the advantage in nearly every statistical category, 56-47 in kills, 10-6 in blocks, and served three of the four aces in the match. Each team scored 24 points off opponent errors.
Middle blocker Taylor Averill continued his stellar play in his first Olympics with six blocks, equaling Japan’s team total, scoring on seven of his eight swings and adding an ace for 14 points. In three pool play matches, Averill has scored 18 times on 21 attacks. Fellow middle blocker Max Holt scored on seven of his eight attacks and also had an ace to finish with eight points. With 14 kills and one error in 16 attacks, the U.S. middles hit .813 for the match.
Led by setter Micah Christenson and strong passing, the U.S. hit at a .511 efficiency percentage for the match with 56 kills and nine errors in 92 attacks. Christenson shared team-high honors with outside hitter T.J. DeFalco. In addition to his strong defense, DeFalco led the team with 11 successful receptions and scored 14 points on 13 kills and a block.
“They were passing the ball really well,” Christenson said about his teammates. “Especially in that fourth set, it makes my job a lot easier. Japan put some different service pressure on us in that third set and I think our passing line did a great job of adjusting.”
Playing in his fourth Olympic Games, opposite Matt Anderson led the team in scoring with 16 points on 15 kills and an ace. Anderson and libero Erik Shoji each finished with five digs. Outside Aaron Russell also reached double digits with 12 points on 10 kills and two blocks. Anderson contributed with nine successful receptions, Russell had eight, and Shoji added five.
A Russell kill gave the U.S. an early 7-3 lead in the opening set. Japan closed the gap to two points, but a service ace followed by an Averill ace made it 14-10. With the score 15-12, a Russell swing was called out but was overruled on a block touch challenge to extend the lead back to four points, 16-12.
From there, the U.S. went on a 7-2 run to put the set out of reach with Anderson scoring twice, and Averill and DeFalco recording consecutive blocks. The U.S. hit at an astounding .650 efficiency percentage with 14 kills and just one error in 20 total attacks in the set. DeFalco led all scorers with six points on five kills on his block and Averill added four points on two kills, a block and an ace. Anderson and Russell each contributed three kills.
Three Averill blocks and a Holt ace helped the U.S. run out to a 5-0 lead in the second set. Japan’s first block of the match cut the lead to two points, 10-8 but the U.S. scored four of the next five points to take its largest lead of the set, 14-9. DeFalco scored twice, once off a set from Holt, Russell scored on a back row attack and Averill ended the run with a kill.
Russell recorded back-to-back blocks to push the U.S. advantage to five points, 17-12. After Japan cut the lead back to three, 18-15, a strong dig by DeFalco led to an Anderson kill. Holt scored the team’s next two points with his fifth kill in as many swings making it 21-16. The U.S. took a 2-0 set lead by scoring four of the final six points of the set.
Holt and Averill combined for nine points with Holt registering kills on all four of his swings and adding an ace. Averill added a kill to his three blocks. Russell contributed four points on two kills and a pair of blocks.
With only its second block of the match, Japan took the first two-point lead of the third set, 10-8, and later stretched its lead to three on a kill off an overpass, 11-8. A 7-3 run from there put Japan in control of the set. Anderson led the U.S. with six points on five kills and an ace with DeFalco adding four kills.
Another Averill block gave the U.S. a 9-7 lead in the fourth set, the first time either team led by two points. A Russell back row attack extended the advantage to three, 13-10, but Japan used a 5-2 run to even the set at 15.
The U.S. used a 4-0 run, keyed by two kills from DeFalco, to take a 19-15 lead. Averill recorded a kill and his sixth block of the match to extend the lead to five points, 21-16. Two service errors ended Japan’s chance at a comeback. Averill scored six points with four kills to go with his two aces. Anderson (five) and Russell (four) combined for nine kills in the set.
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