Women’s Volleyball: Italy to face USA for gold
In men’s, France extends its streak of finals appearances and will now face a formidable Poland in a tightly anticipated match on 10 August. Meanwhile, the USA and Italy will compete for the bronze medal.
The women’s volleyball semifinals took place on Thursday 8 August with a faceoff between Team Brazil and Team USA kicking off fixtures.
The win this time went to the USA with a 3-2 over the Brazilians. The other match was between Italy and Turkiye, but in this one, there were no doubts. Italy’s Team dominated the match stronger and beat their opponents 3-0.
On Saturday 10 August, Turkiye will compete for the bronze medal with Brazil, and on Sunday 11 August, Italy will face the United States in the gold medal match.
France and Poland are also set to face off in the men’s volleyball final at the Olympics, with the matches that took place yesterday 8 August. All teams have showcased exceptional skill and determination throughout the tournament, setting the stage for a thrilling showdown.
Polish and USA teams lead in the semis
The men’s volleyball semi-finals were played on Wednesday 7 August at the South Paris Arena 1. There, the Polish and American teams faced each other in the afternoon, followed by the Italian and French in two very intense matches worthy of an Olympic semi-final.
The first games saw Poland take on the United States, two teams that already know what it means to win the gold medal. Poland has claimed gold once with that coming at the 1979 Olympic Games in Montreal.
On the other hand, the US team has more medals, having three golds and two bronzes. The match was hard fought by both countries, with the Polish team taking the first set (25-23).
However, the US pulled themselves together and set out to come back in order to get into the matchup. In doing so, they were able to make up the lost ground and win two sets in a row (25-27) (14-25).
FORNAL 🤝 ANDERSON
It was a very intense semifinal match between USA 🇺🇸 and Poland 🇵🇱.Emotions were high between these two players but in the end it’s all about sportsmanship.
🏐 #Paris2024
#gangłysego
#volleyball
pic.twitter.com/2cPIDbsAir— Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) August 8, 2024
The Poles received a hard blow in the third set, being unable to fight the set like the previous two. However, they were able to recover and fight for a fourth set that already looked very difficult to achieve. It meant they managed to record a (25-23) score, keeping their gold hopes alive.
The Poles managed to come back and beat the Americans with a (15-13) score, ending a match of more than two hours and 200 points scored. It meant Poland returned to the final of an Olympic Games since 1979, while the Americans will be looking to settle for the bronze on 9 August.
In France vs Italy’s clash, it was a game where both countries already knew what it takes to reach a final. The Italians have booked their place in the final on three occasions but missed out on gold in all three. France is no stranger to finals and competed at the last edition of the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, taking home the gold medal.
The match was fiercely contested, but France’s strong performance ensured their continued success. They secured the first set with a score of 20-25 and continued their dominance by winning the second set 21-25. The final set also went to France, who closed out the match in under an hour and a half with a 21-25 victory.
France extends its streak of finals appearances and will now face a formidable Poland in a tightly anticipated match on 10 August. Meanwhile, the USA and Italy will compete for the bronze medal.