The United States women’s volleyball team will play for a maiden gold medal on Sunday after a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23 victory over Serbia.
Annie Drews led the U.S. with 17 points while Jordan Larson had 15 and Michelle ‘Boom-Boom’ Bartsch-Hackley bagged 9.
Supreme U.S. defence limited Serb star Tijana Bošković to 19.
Five years ago Serbia sent the States to the bronze medal match at Rio 2016. Today was redemption day for the U.S. as they responded by blowing the World and European champions away in straight sets.
Serbian star Tijana Bošković’s is the top scorer in Tokyo 2020 volleyball, men’s or women’s, but the U.S. blunted her threat with an organised block co-ordinated between Bartsch-Hackley, Jordyn Poulter, Foluke Akinradewo, and Haleigh Washington.
Team USA did their homework and nullified Serbia’s main threat while lining up their top hitter Drews in a mis-match on the other side of the net.
The U.S. also targetted outside hitter Bianka Busa all game and despite Serbian coach Zoran Terzić shuffling the pack they simply couldn’t find a foothold.
USA didn’t change their setup once, they had a plan and they stuck to it.
24-14 up in the first set, Serbia and Bošković rallied to score five straight points but the Stars and Stripes put it away and never looked back.
“We have to out-team other teams,” coach Karch Kiraly said before this semi-final and that’s exactly what they did, working better as a unit, defending fiercely and stunning their highly-fancied opponents by finding unstoppable angles and varying the threat.
Drews had 22 points against Italy, 21 against the Dominican Republic, and was clutch here again, spiking, blocking and serving aces.
Not bad for someone in the team because of an injury to star opposite hitter Jordan Thompson.
Permanently smiling, Drews enjoyed her day as her smile spread across the team, they danced in delight as Serbia couldn’t come up with an answer.
Setter Jordyn Poulter was back in after her ankle injury and was another critical factor in a commanding win.
The USA have never won Olympic gold, collecting three silver and two bronze medals at past Games but now the Volleyball Nations League champions have eliminated the Rio silver-medallists.
And are just one game from Olympic glory.
