Brazilian BlockbusterWorld Champion Cuba went down hard after the U.S. struggled to defeat the Netherlandsby Peter King
"Tonight," said Brazilian volleyball star Marcia Cunha, "is a very special night." Special in women's volleyball is needing only 55 minutes to beat the undisputed world champion, which is what Brazil did last night at the Omni with a decisive 15-11, 15-10, 15-4 victory over Cuba.
The Cubans rarely showed their free-wheeling, aggressive fire. And they turned passive in the third set, when the Brazilians—their rabid fans singing When the Saints Go Marching In—went for the kill.
Lori Endicott (5) and Elaina Oden put up a good defense on an otherwise sloppy night for the U.S.
photograph by
"It's a very important result, but it's not the crucial result," admitted Brazil's Ana Moser. "We're trying to be the best team in the world, and tonight helps us get there."
Afterward the dispirited Cubans dismissed the rout, as well they should have. They're all but a lock to reach the eight-team medal round, at which time they'll probably have an opportunity to even the score with Brazil. Still, the one-sidedness of this match will make the Cubans think twice about their invincibility.
The U.S. believes itself capable of beating Cuba, but the Americans will have to play better than they did last night in a sluggish four-set victory over the Netherlands. Still, U.S. coach Terry Liskevych seemed unconcerned. "We're a very deep team," he said after a 12-15, 15-10, 17-15, 15-7 victory. "It'll take a great team to beat us."
It wouldn't have last night. The Dutch were one point away from taking a 2-1 set lead. Clearly the U.S. misses the high-speed kills and blocks of its biggest hitter, Teee Williams, a two-time NCAA player of the year from Hawaii. She played sparingly with a lingering lumbar sprain, and her condition will go a long way in determining the U.S. medal fortunes.
The Americans, 2-0 in round-robin play, most likely need one victory in their remaining three matches to advance to the medal round. That's where their toughest competition surely lies, because the world's two premier teams, Cuba and Brazil, are in the other pool.
Against the rangy Dutch, unforced errors were to blame for the first-set loss, and the Americans trailed 6-0 in the second set before rallying. In the third set, poor American setting and terrific Dutch spiking negated a 13-6 U.S. lead, and Tara Cross-Battle saved a set point with an outstanding dig. "At some point," Cross-Battle said, "I knew I'd be the go-to person and have to make a play." The U.S. breezed through the fourth set playing the athletic and high-powered style that has become its trademark.
Liskevych had predicted that only the U.S. and Brazil could beat the formidable Cubans. The Brazilians proved him right. The Americans? Liskevych might want to check with Williams's doctor first.
|
|
SI Olympic Dailies
|
