It’s Sweden’s world now, as Ahman-Hellvig dominate for Paris Olympic gold
Never before has the world witnessed anything like what Sweden’s David Ahman and Jonatan Hellvig did on Saturday evening in the finals of the Paris Olympic Games. A win over Germany’s Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler? That could have been expected. Sweden had done so 10...
Reslient, improving USA women play Italy for Olympics volleyball gold
Italy’s Paola Egonu hits against the USA’s Chiaka Ogbogu, left, and Avery Skinner during their VNL quarterfinals match in June/Volleyball World photo PARIS — Sunday’s Olympics women’s volleyball gold-medal match will cap both a 15-day-long tournament and a tremendous run for the USA women. This team, held...
France sweeps Poland to win Olympics men’s volleyball gold
France celebrates the gold-medal victory/FIVB photo PARIS — France left no doubt which team was the best in the Olympics men’s volleyball. Les Bleus made it back to back Saturday when it swept Poland 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 to win the gold medal for the second straight Olympics. About...
Duda, Ana Patricia bring home long-awaited Olympic gold to Brazil
There was only one element missing from Duda Lisboa’s resume. She’d won a World Championship. Won a Gstaad cowbell. Won every accolade there was to win — Rookie, Server, Most Outstanding, Best Team. All of them. Even when she was just a teenager, playing in an era...
Big bounce back as USA men sweep Italy for Olympics volleyball bronze
The entire contingent of bronze medalists/FIVB photo PARIS — First-time Olympian Taylor Averill just shook his head. “What an emotional roller coaster the Olympics is,” Averill said with a laugh. “I mean, dude, we’re used to playing two, maybe three games most in a row. We played...
Olympics beach volleyball: Germans stuns Norway; Mel and Brandie make history
Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler react after upsetting Norway in the Paris Olympic semifinals/FIVB photo How many times had Nils Ehlers and Clemens Wickler come so close they could taste it — only to leave parched and starved? In four events in 2024 alone Germany had made...
Going for gold! USA women defeat Brazil in 5 in Olympics volleyball semifinals
USA Karch Kiraly exults after winning the semifinal match/FIVB photo PARIS — They’re back in the last match of the tournament and going for gold, and, no, they’re not defending their Olympic gold medal. The USA women are trying to win another one and get to do...
Olympic Beach: USA off the podium for first time in history after Benesh-Partain loss
Andy Benesh and Miles Partain picked the hill — or sword, to use their parlance — they would die on in the Paris Olympic Games. It’s a good word choice, sword. Their style of play — high passes, an on-two and jump-setting frequency that would make...
Poland dashes USA men’s Olympic volleyball gold-medal hopes
Poland is ecstatic after defeating the USA/FIVB photo PARIS — Bronze. “We came here to win,” USA coach John Speraw said. “I’m very disappointed.” You would expect nothing less from a team that aspired to win the Paris Olympics men’s volleyball tournament and the gold medal that comes...
USA vs, Brazil: Two friendly women’s Olympic volleyball powers battle in semis
The Americans celebrate sweeping Poland/FIVB photo PARIS — Trust that Thursday’s Olympics women’s volleyball semifinal between the USA and Brazil will be a little less friendly than the last time they met. The two Olympics powers — who are, in fact, friendly — actually scrimmaged here before...
Big Ten media days: Optimism as school’s keep up with ever-changing volleyball
Nebraska’s Kennedi Orr, left, Lindsay Krause and coach John Cook CHICAGO — The Big Ten volleyball coaches and student-athletes agreed that the sport’s future is bright, despite not knowing what exactly that will look like. Even with so much uncertainty surrounding volleyball, including conference realignment, booming attendance...
Nina Brunner, Tanja Huberli knock Cheng-Hughes, USA out of Paris
The scene for Switzerland vs. USA at the Paris Olympic Games/FIVB photo Rivo Vesik was sitting beyond the end line during April’s Guadalajara Challenge, in the nervewracking position familiar to all international beach volleyball coaches: complete and total helplessness. Once the match begins — in this case,...
Sweep! USA women thump Poland to make Olympic volleyball semifinals
Kathryn Plummer attacks against Poland/FIVB photo PARIS — The USA women will play Brazil on Wednesday in the Paris Olympics volleyball semfinals after they not only defeated Poland, but swept on Tuesday. “We’re excited that yesterday was not our last practice,” USA coach Karch Kiraly said, “and...
“Special group” of USA men face Poland in men’s volleyball semifinals
The USA was excited after beating Brazil/FIVB photo PARIS — If you’ve ever been to one of Poland’s matches, you know the chant. “Polska! Polska! Polska” There’s going to be a lot of that Wednesday afternoon in Paris Arena South 1 when Poland plays the USA in the...
Big Ten media days: West Coast teams the hot topic; first-day highlights
Wisconsin’s Devyn Robinson, left, Sarah Franklin and coach Kelly Sheffield CHICAGO — The biggest storyline of the 2024 Big Ten season wasn’t even in the building on Monday as the conference had the first of two media days. At the third annual Big Ten Volleyball Media Days,...
Moving on: USA men beat Brazil to advance to Olympics men’s volleyball semis
USA libero Erik Shoji lets TJ DeFalco take the pass against Poland/FIVB photo PARIS — The USA men are back in the Olympics volleyball semifinals. They beat Brazil on Monday 26-24, 28-30, 25-19, 25-19 to cap a wild day at South Paris Arena 1 that saw two...
Olympic Beach Volleyball: Wilkerson, Humana-Paredes clamp down, oust TKN
It was going right. All of it. The Kristen Nuss defense, the Taryn Kloth blocking. The shots, the swings, the extended rallies — all going the proper direction for the USA in their ninth-place matchup of the Olympic Games, against Canada’s Melissa Humana-Paredes and Brandie...
Olympics volleyball: Italy, France reverse sweep into semis; USA women play Poland
Barthelemy Chinenyeze of France attacks against Germany/FIVB photo PARIS — Sacrebleu! Yes, we used that French phrase basically in place of what the hell Sunday for the USA women’s match, but after Monday on the men’s side, well, holy blue. Or something like that. To wit: Two reverse...
Olympic Beach Volleyball: Budinger-Evans take ninth as Norway rolls on
Anders Mol serves against Chase Budinger and Miles Evans/FIVB photo They were underdogs going into the Paris Olympic Games and they knew it. Chase Budinger and Miles Evans embraced that role. What did they have to lose in an Olympic Games only one percent of voters thought...
Olympics beach volleyball: Cheng-Hughes outlast Gottardi-Menegatti in thriller
Kelly Cheng doesn’t do much with her fingernails. Good thing, too. On Sunday evening in Paris during their first-round playoff matchup with Italians Marta Menegatti and Valentina Gottardi, the length — or lackthereof — of the 6-foot-2 blocker’s nails was every bit as critical as her serving...