USA leaned on Kathryn Plummer to score a repeat of its Tokyo 2020 finals victory over Brazil.
Defending champion USA asserted its mastery over Brazil, coming through with a 7-3 windup in the fifth to prevail, 25-23, 18-25, 25-15, 23-25, 15-11, and return to the finals in Paris 2024 women's volleyball on Friday, Aug. 9 (Philippine time).
The Americans thus scored a repeat of their Tokyo 2020 finals victory over Brazil to move a win away from securing back-to-back golds in the Olympic Games.
The World No. 3 squad will look to hold on to its throne against the winner between Italy and Turkey in the other semis pairing.
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Kathryn Plummer punctuated USA's strong finish, scoring two of the squad's last three points to finally put away second-ranked Brazil.
She topscored with 26 points on 23 attacks, two blocks and an ace. Avery Skinner backed her up with 19 points while Andrea Drews had 18.
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After a tight exchange early in the fifth set, USA shattered an eight-all count, scoring four straight points capped by a spike by Drews to slowly pull away at 12-8.
But five-time Olympic medalist Brazil, which forced the decider after taking the fourth set, refused to give up, with Ana Cristina Menezes Oliveira de Souza
swinging an off-the-block hit and Ana Carolina da Silva denying Plummer at the net to come within 10-12.
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Plummer made up for it with a push while Haleigh Washington answered with her own block against Menezes Oliveira de Souza to gain four match points at 14-10.
While Plummer erred on her attack to fan the hopes of Brazil, she made sure that no mistake will be made in the next as she closed out the match on a hit.
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Menezes Oliveira de Souza led the way for the Brazilians on her 22 attacks and two blocks for 24 points. Gabriela Braga Guimaraes contributed 16 points, Rosamaria Montibeller, 14, and Thaisa Daher de Menezes, 10.