This year, at the 2016 Summer Olympics, 36 past, current and future UCLA athletes will compete in Rio de Janeiro. Each day, the Daily Bruin will wrap up the different events with Bruin highlights, key performances and upcoming events.
Men’s volleyball
USA vs. Mexico
Team USA made quick work of Mexico in its final match of the preliminary round Monday. The 3-0 victory was easily the Americans’ most impressive performance in their five matches so far.
Head coach John Speraw’s first Olympics at the helm of Team USA is looking much better now than it did on Aug. 9, when the team sat at the bottom of Pool A after two straight losses to Canada and Italy. The UCLA men’s volleyball coach has helped his team reel off three consecutive victories since, clinching an assured spot in the quarterfinals.
The Americans got off to a quick start in the first set, taking a 9-5 lead early on. Then the Mexicans rallied back and commenced a tug of war between the two squads before Team USA finally won the set at 25-22. The Americans easily won the next two sets 25-11 and 25-19.
Defense has been the team’s biggest improvement as the games have progressed. The Americans accumulated just three digs per set in their first two games while compiling six per set in their final three contests. They also own the second most blocks in the pool at 42, only behind Italy, which has 49.
Troy Murphy led the team in kills with 10 and added two blocks as well. Penn State alumnus Maxwell Holt had the hot hand when it came to serving, tallying five of the team’s eight aces on the day.
The Americans finished group play in third place of Pool A and will take on Poland in the quarterfinals. The Polish went 4-1 in the preliminary round, losing only to Russia.
Written by Kyle Cardoza, Daily Bruin reporter.
Women’s water polo
USA vs. Brazil
On to the semifinals.
Team USA had no trouble in its 13-3 drubbing of Brazil in the quarterfinals Monday afternoon. Brazil was winless going into the contest and struggled to handle the Americans’ smothering defense.
The Americans absolutely dominated the Brazilians on both sides of the pool, garnering a 8-0 lead heading into halftime and holding them scoreless into the fourth quarter.
Sharing the ball was the key in the match, as each of the first nine goals was scored by a different player. UCLA alumnae KK Clark and Courtney Mathewson and incoming freshman Maddie Musselman tallied a goal apiece before halftime. Rachel Fattal, another UCLA graduate, almost registered a goal but was denied by the post. Former Bruin goalkeeper Sami Hill also made an appearance in the fourth quarter, her first of the games.
Defense has been the Americans’ biggest strength in Rio, and players continued to disrupt their opponents’ offense in the pool. Team USA held Brazil to just 12.5 percent in shot percentage, the lowest average of any opponent thus far.
The Americans are still undefeated heading into the semifinals Wednesday and have yet to allow more than six goals in a game. They face Hungary, who defeated Australia 13-11 after a penalty shootout in its quarterfinal match. Team USA defeated Hungary 11-6 in its third match of the preliminary round.
Written by Kyle Cardoza, Daily Bruin reporter.