Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0

Morning Report

As expected, Team USA dispatched Korea in straight sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-22), though Korea led in the second set 14-11 before the Americans rallied to put the set away.  Up next is a rematch on Saturday with Brazil, which the United States defeated 3-1 on July 30th.  Here’s what the media has been saying:

U.S. Women Sweep S. Korea, Back in Gold Medal Match (www.nbcolympics.com)

The U.S. women’s volleyball team is returning to the Olympic Gold Medal Match for the second time in as many Games after an impressive sweep of  South Korea  in Thursday’s semifinal at Earls Court in London.  The set scores were 25-20, 25-22, 25-22. Team USA will get another rematch with Brazil . . . in Saturday’s Olympic final. “It’s great to be in this position,” U.S. middle blocker Christa Harmotto told the Associated Press. “It’s a position we’ve worked for for four years, and we’re exactly where we want to be.

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 Olympics volleyball: USA and Brazil to contest women’s final (BBC Sport)

Favourites USA moved a step closer to a first women’s volleyball Olympic gold with a 3-0 win against South Korea.  The Americans, who are ranked number one in the world, progressed to Saturday’s final with a 25-20 25-22 25-22 victory at Earls Court.  They will meet defending champions Brazil, who beat Japan 3-0, in a repeat of the Beijing 2008 final.  Captain Fabiana Claudino scored 13 points as Brazil won 25-18 25-15 25-18 in Thursday’s second semi-final.

For the complete article, Click Here.

London 2012 Olympics: Brazil Clobbers Japan in Volleyball to Advance to Final (latino.foxnews)

Brazil advanced to the final of the Olympic women’s volleyball tournament  with a 3-0 victory here Thursday over Japan, setting up another showdown with  the United States. The South Americans’ blocking prowess was the difference in the semifinal  match as they repeatedly stymied a Japanese side that was the shortest in the  competition, averaging just 1.75 meters (less than 5-feet-9). The 25-18, 25-15, 25-18 victory was one of the most comfortable during this  year’s Olympics for the Brazilians, who lost two games in the round-robin phase  and then miraculously escaped with a win Tuesday over Russia in the  quarterfinals, rallying from a two-set-to-one deficit and staving off six match  points to stay alive in the competition.

For the complete article, Click Here.

 US women reach Olympic volleyball gold-medal match (Yahoo Sports)

By ANNE M. PETERSON (AP Sports Writer) | The Associated Press.  LONDON (AP) — Coach Hugh McCutcheon made a special point of seeking out captain Lindsey Berg for a quick hug after the U.S. women’s volleyball team advanced to the gold medal match at the London Olympics. The Americans got an emotional boost from Berg, who returned for a straight-set semifinal victory over South Korea on Thursday after missing the last match with a strained left Achilles. “It’s game time and I feel great, and I don’t care how I feel after Saturday,” Berg said, referring to the final, a rematch of 2008 Olympic finale against Brazil.

For the complete article, Click Here.

Team Rosters

2012 U.S. Women's Olympic Volleyball Team

#	Name	Position	Height	Hometown	State	Birth Year	College	Conf.
2	Scott-Arruda, Danielle	MB	6-2	Baton Rouge	LA	1972	LBSU	Big West
3	Haneef-Park, Tayyiba	Opp	6-7	Laguna Hills	CA	1979	LBSU	Big West
4	Berg, Lindsey	S	5-8	Honolulu	HI	1980	Minnesota	B1G
5	Miyashiro, Tamari	L	5-7	Kaneohe	HI	1987	Washington	Pac 12
6	Davis, Nicole	L	5-4	Stockton	CA	1982	USC	Pac 12
10	Larson, Jordan	OH	6-2	Hooper	NE	1986	Nebraska	B1G
11	Hodge, Megan	OH	6-3	Durham	NC	1988	Penn State	B1G
13	Harmotto, Christa	MB	6-2	Hopewell	PA	1986	Penn State	B1G
15	Tom, Logan	OH	6-1	Salt Lake City	UT	1981	Stanford	Pac 12
16	Akinradewo, Foluke	MB	6-3	Plantation	FL	1987	Stanford	Pac 12
17	Thompson, Courtney	S	5-8	Kent	WA	1984	Washington	Pac 12
19	Hooker, Destinee	Opp	6-4	San Antonio	TX	1987	Texas	Big 12

2012 Olympics Women's Volleyball - Brazil

#	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Age	Club
1	CLAUDINO Fabiana	MB	6-4	27	Fenerbahce TUR
3	LINS Danielle	S	6-0	27	Sesi/SP BRA
4	PEQUENO Paulina	WS	6-0	30	Volei Futuro BRA
5	SILVA Adenizia	MB	6-0	25	Sollys Osasco BRA
6	MENEZES Thaisa	MB	6-4	25	Sollys Osasco BRA
8	CARVALHO Jaqueline	WS	6-1	28	Sollys Osasco BRA
9	FERREIRA Ferndanda	S	5-8	32	Iqtisadchi Baku AZE
11	CAIXETA Tandara	WS	6-0	23	Sollys Osasco BRA
12	PEREIRA Natalia	WS	6-0	23	Unilever BRA
13	CASTRO Sheilla	OS	6-2	29	Sollys Osasco BRA
14	OLIVEIRA Fabiana	L	5-5	32	Unilever BRA
16	RODRIGUES Fernanda	WS	5-10	26	Volei Futuro BRA