USA men go 3-0 in Paris Olympics volleyball pool play with 4-set win over Japan

PARIS — No five-setter this time.

No, the USA men late on Friday night won the first two sets against a remarkably scrappy Japan team, lost the third, but closed it out in four to finish 3-0 in Pool C.

It positions the Americans as well as they could have hoped for — a top three seed — heading into the Paris Olympics men’s volleyball quarterfinals that begin Monday.

The USA’s 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19 victory was not a total loss for Japan, either. Winning a set was enough to get Japan into the quarterfinals for the first time since 1992.

“We once again got off to a really nice start. They needed to get one set and they came out in the third set and played like they wanted to get into the next round,” USA coach John Speraw said. 

“We responded in the fourth set quite well, especially after early on in the fourth set when it was pretty even. I think there’s a lot we can take from that.”

That wasn’t lost on USA outside TJ DeFalco, who had 13 kills and a block.

“The happiest thing for me is they were making changes and adjustments, which is what you’re supposed to do in a high-level volleyball match and then we adjusted right back,” DeFalco said. “As opposed to Germany, when we did not adjust for a very long time. And that’s what I’m most proud of the team for. At this level, every team is going to have an adjustment. They’re going to figure out what they have to do better to come back to win and get that energy and momentum. We did it right back to them as fast as we possibly could.”

The Americans opened Olympics play with a sweep of Argentina, but then won the first two sets against Germany before hanging on to win in five.

Seemingly ageless opposite Matt Anderson (he’s 37) led with 15 kills and one of his team’s three aces to go with five of the USA’s 21 serving errors.

“I’m happy with the way I played and I’m happy with the way the team played,” said Anderson, the fourth-time Olympian. “I’m happy that we got in that tough position in that third set and we were trying to claw out of it and got knocked back down. In that fourth set we didn’t let it bother us. We’re gonna need that. We’re gonna play tough teams that are going to beat us in sets … Being able to come back in that fourth set, getting back in system and the way we played volleyball, I’m proud and happy.”

DeFalco had 13 kills and a block and the other outside, Aaron Russell, had 10 kills and two blocks. Middle Taylor Averill had seven kills, six blocks — which gives him 11, tied for the Olympics lead — and an ace. The other middle, Max Holt, had seven kills and an ace. 

“Full team effort. Mattie’s been great, TJ was great tonight, just a lot of contributions from everybody,” Speraw said. “Really a good team effort.”

Setter Micah Christenson had three kills, a block, six digs and his team hit .511 with 16 of its 52 kills in the fourth set.

The Americans totally dominated the first two sets, but Japan played like a team possessed in the third, rallying behind high-flying 6-2 left-handed opposite Yuji Nishida, who had 17 kills — six in the third set — and a block.

“We came out firing the first two sets,” Christenson said, ‘but the third set they came out and put some different kinds of pressure on us. Some new energy and they challenged us in the third and early in the fourth.”

The fourth set was tied 15-15 when the USA broke away in a sold-out South Paris Arena 1 that included a tremendous Japanese contingent. There was also a time in the match when it was deafening because the French fans were watching swimmer Leon Marhcand on their phones as he won a fourth gold medal.

“They were making some spectacular defensive plays,” Speraw said of Japan. “When those things happen you have to just let it go and understand they’re going to do that and you’ve got to get on to the next point. We did a good job of that.”

DeFalco admitted it is hard to play Japan.

“One of my least favorite things about the game of volleyball is when it turns into pinball,” DeFalco said. “Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! You can hardly keep track, your lungs can’t keep up, your eyes can’t keep up and that what Japan’s motto is. They’re so good at defense they can make things happen.”

Because the USA weathered the storm, it sits in a good spot heading into the quarterfinals. The USA will be seeded in the top three of the final eight. 

“We don’t know who we’re going to pull in the quarterfinal, but it’s a great win,” Anderson said. “The next round is the beginning of a new tournament.”

The quarterfinal matchups will be set after two men’s matches Saturday, Poland vs. Italy and Canada vs. Serbia (Read more about that here).

“Huge turnaround from three years ago,” said Speraw, alluding to the Tokyo Olympics when the USA swept eventual-champion France to open play and then failed to make the quarterfinals. 

“It’s a new tournament now. Years ago, Doug Beal (the former USA player, 1984 gold-medal-winning Olympic coach and later USAV CEO) told me that this tournament has three different phases: One is pool play and can you get out of pool. Then the quarterfinal match by itself is phase two. Then the whole tournament resets at this point. It’s a fresh start. And the then third phase is can you get into a medal match? 

“I think this team knows that. I felt that and experienced that in Rio (when the USA won bronze) and experienced that the hard way in Tokyo. So we know this is a tournament but we’re playing good volleyball and feeling good about where we’re at right now.”

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