U.S. women's VB team looks forward to facing Cuba

[ache]

BEIJING - Lindsey Berg pondered the rematch for the first time, then smiled like a kid in a candy store.

"If we can get in Cuba's head a little bit, they can break down like any other team," Berg said Tuesday after helping lead the Colorado Springs-based U.S. women's indoor volleyball team to a 3-2 win over No. 2 Italy in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Games.

The No. 4 Americans, shooting for their first Olympic gold medal and their first medal in 16 years, will play No. 3 Cuba in Thursday's semifinals, 10 days after Cuba made them look silly in a 3-0 loss.

In the only U.S. pool-play defeat, Cuba took advantage of a plethora of the Americans' mistakes - sloppy passing, lackluster defense, poor communication. Nearly everything the U.S. did wrong, Cuba did right.

"We need to pass a little better," Berg said. "Even if we don't pass it better, get good enough sets for our outsides. That's a couple more balls. ... They had a great match, and we had a flat match. It goes back and forth."

Said Heather Bown: "If we have our passing game, we're pretty good. They're an extremely good serving team. They're very athletic. They go up and hit hard. If we can get our passing in our offense, they struggle against that."

The U.S. is 14-27 against Cuba but has won eight of the past 11 meetings. In recent matches, it lost to Cuba in July in the World Grand Prix final round and beat Cuba last year at the World Cup and twice in the Grand Prix preliminary round.

At the Olympics, the U.S. is 1-2 against Cuba, with a semifinal loss at the 1992 Barcelona Games, a quarterfinal loss in 1996 in Atlanta and a preliminary-round win in 2004 in Athens.

Asked about the key against Cuba, Kim Glass said, "Play with heart and play together. Not play as a bunch of individuals. We've been playing together. We know what we need to do, and we do it.

"We're not intimidated, not at all," she added. "We know they're a great team. We're going to come out tough, just like they're going to come out tough. We expect a good game. But no intimidation."

Logan Tom stopped short of guaranteeing a win over Cuba.

"They put a foot in our mouth last time," she said. "I think you're going to see a different team out there."

[ache]

www.sltrib.com/olympics/ci_10246321

BEIJING - Logan Tom and her teammates on the U.S. women's volleyball team seem to have finally discovered a formula for success at the Beijing Olympics, which should make things awfully interesting in their semifinal match against powerful Cuba.

On account of, you know, all the losing.

The three-time champion Cubans don't figure to play along so nicely with the dramatic script the Americans have been writing, the one in which they fall almost hopelessly behind before staging a stunning rally. Three times in a row they've done it now, most recently in a 20-25, 25-21, 19-25,25-17, 15-6 victory over Italy

"Oh my God," outside hitter Kim Willoughby said. "I never imagined being here and playing that match. Everybody told us we would never beat them. It's a huge win for us."

Mostly, because it gives them two opportunities to earn the medal that has so painfully eluded them the past two Olympics - even if they lose in the semifinals Thursday, they will play for bronze - though the chance to exact revenge against the Cubans apparently is another powerful motivation.

"They put a foot in our ass last time," Tom said.

Yes, Cuba shut out the Americans during preliminary group play, but thatwas before they began their amazing streak of come-from-behind wins. They did it first against China, then Poland - losing two of the first three sets and having to rally to win the last two straight to take the match.

The same thing happened against Italy, the Americans making unforced errors and passing poorly from the start, allowing the Italians to pound right through their block and claim two of the first three sets. The third set was particularly gruesome, the Italians racing to an 11-3 lead and cruising into control of the match.

"We had no fire at the end of the third set," outside hitter Tayyiba Haneef-Park said.

Enter Lindsey Berg.

The backup setter came on in the fourth set and just like that, the Americans were ablaze. Suddenly, they were the team dominating at the net and digging every shot, jumping to an 8-0 lead that ignited their emotions and never looking back.

Clearly stunned, the Italians never recovered. Tom finished with 14 kills and three blocks.

The Americans "have always been like this," Italy's Jenny Barazza said. "They take out their best at the right time."
Well, maybe not always.

Tom remembers all too clearly her first Olympics at the 2000 Sydney Games, when she was a 19-year-old almost straight out of Highland High School who led the young Americans surprisingly into the semifinals. Once there, though, they lost two straight matches and finished fourth - then managed only a disappointing fifth-place finish four years ago at the Athens Games.

Tom joked that her mother is probably cursing her for making her matches unnecessarily dramatic.

"She just turned 59," Tom said, "she's saying, 'I can't take this anymore.' " Yet she also agreed with her teammates that they have finally started to really trust each other.

"The key thing is we rally together," outside hitter Kim Glass said. "We really just came together and we just supported each other and we fought for each other with heart. We know this was just do or die. . . .No one can beat us when we play together."

They will soon see about that.

The Cubans have not lost yet in the tournament - they swept away Serbia 26-24, 25-19, 26-24 in the quarterfinals - and have shut out four of their six opponents so far, losing but three sets along the way. Still, the Americans are confident.

"I think you'll see a different team out there against Cuba," Tom said.

[OverAndUnder]

If we can pass the damn ball, please set a slide/C/back1 whatever the hell you can behind the setter. Ruiz may be the most powerful hitter in the world, but her blocking is a weakness.

I just hope the team can play with the same energy and not get trapped into wanting it so bad they try to force bad plays which only become errors and Cuban points.

[baldyballer]

Good job Berg and company...give Cuba some bulletin board material to focus on and wake the sleeping giant. They may have overlooked us for a short time but not now!!!

[OverAndUnder]

Yet [Logan Tom] also agreed with her teammates that they have finally started to really trust each other.

"The key thing is we rally together," outside hitter Kim Glass said. "We really just came together and we just supported each other and we fought for each other with heart. We know this was just do or die. . . .No one can beat us when we play together."

The biggest, most noticeable difference in the last two matches. That 5-game thriller against China saw the birth of a team. Even when we were winning matches in the World Cup and the Grand Prix, there was never any visible sense of real commitment to each other as players (and no I'm not talking about high fiving and smiling big for the camera). Sometimes what gets you through those big transition points is trying to "better the ball" for the next girl not to show you're a badass player but because you really want to give her a great shot at the next play. You've got their backs, they've got yours. You owe it to them as companions to throw yourself the extra inch towards the coach's bench to pancake that ball.

Wanting to succeed is a very powerful thing, but it only works in USA women's volleyball if you also want your team to succeed. Look at Russia - they have unbelievably great volleyball players, but they're not playing for their coach, or their team, or therefore themselves. Exit stage left please.

[OverAndUnder]

Aug 19, 2008 22:52:04 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Good job Berg and company...give Cuba some bulletin board material to focus on and wake the sleeping giant. They may have overlooked us for a short time but not now!!!

Dude, did Lindsey Berg personally come to your house and kill your puppy Mr. Snickums when you were a kid?

[mplssetter]

Aug 19, 2008 22:52:04 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Good job Berg and company...give Cuba some bulletin board material to focus on and wake the sleeping giant. They may have overlooked us for a short time but not now!!!

Why are your posts always so negative? What did you expect Berg and company to say at the press conference??? "We cannot possibly play with Cuba. Expect the same results as last time...."

[Heinrich Schliemann III]

Aug 19, 2008 22:52:04 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Good job Berg and company...give Cuba some bulletin board material to focus on and wake the sleeping giant. They may have overlooked us for a short time but not now!!!

Cuba is a sleeping giant? They looked pretty awake in round 1.

[bigfan]

Aug 19, 2008 19:00:54 GMT -5 ache said:

www.sltrib.com/olympics/ci_10246321

"They put a foot in our ass last time," Tom said.

[/color][/b][/u]

Yes, Cuba shut out the Americans during preliminary group play "I think you'll see a different team out there against Cuba," Tom said.[/quote][/size][/color][/b][/u]

You GO GIRL!!!!!![/color][/b][/u]

[PukaPants]

Aug 19, 2008 22:52:04 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Good job Berg and company...give Cuba some bulletin board material to focus on and wake the sleeping giant. They may have overlooked us for a short time but not now!!!

DOUCHE-BAG ALERT!

[pancake]

Can we confirm that this match will be live at 12:35am ET tonight (Thurs am)?

[baldyballer]

Awwww- Puka I'm touched too. Rule 101 when interviewing- don't down or disrespect your opponent- especially after they just killed you days earlier. Statements like "well- they are a great team and we hope to be more effective the next time we play them" or "Beating a great team like Cuba is a tall order and all we can do is our best" is appropriate. I think olympians need to be held to a higher standard than to mention how one team stuffed a limb into another team's rear. I'm only negative because I don't feel that the team out there best represents the talent we could put on the floor with the whole USA to choose from. But if you read some of my other posts I've given credit to the team for coming together and playing to a higher level.

[ooreo46]

Finally got to watch the USA women play on TV - they look pretty good. Lots of nice sets to the left pin from Robyn. I think she kept feeding Tom, Haneef, and Glass because Italy was all over the USA middles throughout the match - exception in the last game.

Hopefully, USA will come out swinging against Cuba. I also got to watch Cuba play on TV and those girls rip every ball. The USA will have to do the same. I think it will be a very powerful offensive match between the two teams - it will come down to who can put down the most kills. Best of luck to USA

[PukaPants]

Aug 20, 2008 17:28:48 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Awwww- Puka I'm touched too. Rule 101 when interviewing- don't down or disrespect your opponent- especially after they just killed you days earlier. Statements like "well- they are a great team and we hope to be more effective the next time we play them" or "Beating a great team like Cuba is a tall order and all we can do is our best" is appropriate. I think olympians need to be held to a higher standard than to mention how one team stuffed a limb into another team's rear. I'm only negative because I don't feel that the team out there best represents the talent we could put on the floor with the whole USA to choose from. But if you read some of my other posts I've given credit to the team for coming together and playing to a higher level.

Oh spare us the blah blah blah! Get off your high horse and cheer for USA! This isn't about you.

[sasa]

Aug 20, 2008 18:18:38 GMT -5 PukaPants said:

Aug 20, 2008 17:28:48 GMT -5 baldyballer said:

Awwww- Puka I'm touched too. Rule 101 when interviewing- don't down or disrespect your opponent- especially after they just killed you days earlier. Statements like "well- they are a great team and we hope to be more effective the next time we play them" or "Beating a great team like Cuba is a tall order and all we can do is our best" is appropriate. I think olympians need to be held to a higher standard than to mention how one team stuffed a limb into another team's rear. I'm only negative because I don't feel that the team out there best represents the talent we could put on the floor with the whole USA to choose from. But if you read some of my other posts I've given credit to the team for coming together and playing to a higher level.

Oh spare us the blah blah blah! Get off your high horse and cheer for USA! This isn't about you.

Obviously it's more important for Baldy to be right than to be happy for Team USA. Giving credit with the back handed compliments you've given is not really giving credit. The best cure for your negativity is to try out for USA Volleyball coach, and then you can choose all the players you'd like. Just tell them you've watched five international matches and you're sure to land the job!