The United States scored a crucial volleyball victory over rivals Serbia to boost their quarterfinal hopes in the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
In one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the women's volleyball tournament at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the reigning Olympic champions United States emerged victorious, defeating the reigning world champions Serbia in a five-set thriller, 25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 17-15, at the South Paris Arena 1 on Thursday, August 1 (Philippine time).
The USA and Serbia, who have met in the semifinals at the last two Olympics and split those encounters, delivered another classic match.
In a game that went down to the fifth set, the Americans trailed 8-5 at the halfway point in the final frame but scored three straight points to even the score at 8-8.
Jordan Thompson contributed two of those points with a kill and a block to tie it up.
The momentum shifted dramatically when World Championships MVP Tijana Boskovic, was taken off the floor, allowing the Americans to score another three consecutive points and take a 12-9 lead.
As the U.S. reached match point, Serbia managed to survive and tie it at 14-all.
On its fifth match point of the night, the Americans finally managed to clinch the victory and secure two crucial points in Pool C.
The final play was incredibly close, even requiring a review for a possible touch by the USA, but ultimately, the referee ruled there was no touch.
Despite the defeat, Serbia remains at the top of the pool with four points, one more than the Americans. China is now a point behind the USA, while hosts France have yet to score a point in the tournament.
The USA relied on multiple sources for their points, with opposite Annie Drews leading the team with 16 points built on 15 attacks and one block.
Five other Americans also reached double digits in scoring, including outside hitters Avery Skinner (14) and Kathryn Plummer (11), middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu (14) and Washington (10), and opposite hitter Jordan Thompson (11).
Boškovic crossed the 30-point barrier for the first time in Paris with a 31-point performance on 27 kills, two blocks, and two aces. Aleksandra Uzelac added another 14, while fellow outside hitter Katarina Lazovic came off the bench to produce 12.
The USA will complete their pool play schedule on Sunday, August 4, at 7:00 p.m. against hosts France. On the same day, at 11:00 p.m., the Serbians will battle China.
Story Summary:
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In a highly anticipated match at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, the United States defeated reigning world champions Serbia in a five-set thriller (25-17, 25-20, 20-25, 14-25, 17-15), securing a crucial victory in the women's volleyball tournament.
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The match saw intense competition, with the USA overcoming an 8-5 deficit in the final set, thanks to key plays by Jordan Thompson and a momentum shift when Serbia's MVP Tijana Boškovic was taken off the floor.
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Despite the defeat, Serbia remains at the top of Pool C with four points, followed by the USA and China, while hosts France have yet to score; the USA will next face France on August 4, and Serbia will play against China.
[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital team. The summary was generated by AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]