Volleyball

The tears shed from Italy's Marta Menegatti as she lost her composure during the beach volleyball Olympic quarterfinals Sunday against Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh tells the story of the United States teams' dominance.

"I don't want to let our opponents breathe. I don't want to give them an edge. I don't want them to feel comfortable for one second out there," May-Treanor said in an interview with NBC Sunday night after the win. "Crush you, yes," she said. "Not your soul. Just you, on the court."

Though they're undoubtedly the most dominant beach volleyball team in the history of the Olympics, some questioned whether the pair of May-Treanor and Walsh could keep up their dominance and capture a third consecutive gold medal—especially after their recent defeats.

The quarterfinal win by May-Treanor and Walsh in straight sets over Italy's Greta Cicolari and Menegatti avenged a straight set loss earlier this year during the Moscow Grand Slam.

They now have a chance in the semifinals to avenge another loss that happened in the finals of that same Moscow tournament to the Chinese pair of Xue Chen and Zhang Xi.

Chen and Xi have beaten the US duo three consecutive times, but May-Treanor and Walsh have become a different team since that loss in Moscow.

"I think we're a different team. We sold the old team and we bought a new team," May-Treanor said in an interview with Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press.

Chen and Xi have not been exactly dominant in their London campaign so far. They dropped their first game of the tournament 2-1 to the Russian team of Anastasia Vasina and Anna Vozakova, and narrowly escaped with a win over the Swedish team, winning in three sets.

However, they did pick up their play in the quarterfinals, disposing of the Austrian team that took a set from May-Treanor and Walsh earlier in the tournament in straight sets.

The loss to the Austrian team is the only blemish on the two-time Olympic champions perfect record at the games, ever. They dropped their first Olympic set ever, 21-17, in the final game of the round-robin against the Austrian team, made up of sisters Doris and Stefanie Schwaiger.

May-Treanor and Walsh came out with a vengeance in the second set after their historic loss. They won 21-8 and then put the game away with a 15-10 third set.

"I was furious," Walsh said afterward. "It's still with me. I want to go to the practice court and fix it."

The main opposition standing in the way of May-Treanor and Walsh is the Brazilian duo of Larissa Franca and Juliana Felisberta Silva. They have not dropped a set thus far in the Olympics and face the other U.S. team of Jen Kessy and April Ross in the semifinals. 

The U.S. team of Kessy and Ross have faced the Brazilian team 23 times, only winning four of those matchups.

The ideal situation for the United States is if both pairs of Kessy and Ross and May-Treanor and Walsh find a way to make it to the finals, but it is more than likely that May-Treanor and Walsh will see the Brazilian duo standing in their way of the gold.

The Brazilians had their hopes of Olympic gold dashed in Beijing when Silva had to pull out with a knee injury. They will be a lot to handle, but they are a familiar opponent of May-Treanor and Walsh.

The two teams most recently met up at the 2011 World Championships, where the Brazilians took home the title in three sets (17-21, 21-13, 14-16).

There is obvious mutual respect from the teams, and the Brazilians know that May-Treanor and Walsh are legends of the sport.

"Kerri and Misty are not just any team. This is the best team in beach volleyball history. My biggest dream is to be in the final against them," Silva said.

While the Chinese and Brazilian teams have given the legendary US duo some headaches in recent tournaments, make no mistake—it will be May-Treanor and Walsh on the top of the podium August 8 after the final is over.

The U.S. team's determination to get better after every setback is what has kept them on top for over a decade in the Olympics, and will be the main reason they will capture their third consecutive Olympic gold medal in London.

The semifinals take place Tuesday, August 7, and the final is the following day.

Do you think Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings are the favorites to capture a third consecutive gold?

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Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh are back in the 2012 London Games to defend their Olympic title and claim the gold medal for the third time in a row.

May-Treanor and Walsh represented Team USA in women’s beach volleyball at the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Beijing Games and won gold at both appearances.

So yes, you could call them a powerful duo.

And really, there is nothing stopping the pair from clinching their third gold medal for the U.S. If you’ve been watching May-Treanor and Walsh at all this Olympics, you can see why they are so successful and highly acclaimed.

There is just something about them. They are so fluid and connected on the sand, like two different parts of one volleying machine.

The duo beat Italy in a quick two-set match “taking just 33 minutes to win 21-13, 21-13” (via Stacy St. Clair of the Chicago Tribune). And as they advance in the semifinals, Misty and Kerri show that they are relentless in their path to the podium.

When asked about the possibility of playing the other U.S. team of Jennifer Kessy and April Ross, Walsh replied,

“Obviously that would be amazing for our country, but we want to crush everyone, we don’t care where they’re from,” (via Stacy St. Clair of the Chicago Tribune).

They will not settle for anything but the gold.

May-Treanor and Walsh are incredible to watch. Their reflexes and reaction times are unparalleled to any other team and they play with stunning power and strategy. When Misty dives and saves the ball, Kerri is up and ready to bump it over. Just watch them play and you’ll see why no other team stands a chance.

Team USA fans are certain to find themselves open-mouthed and seeing gold as they watch May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings take the sand in the final match. 

As the United State men's volleyball team fell to a tough Russia squad in the 2012 Olympics, the chances of a gold medal look diminished. 

Russia overcame a two-set deficit to deliver a striking blow to America's hope at another gold medal.  However, beating the top-ranked Brazil team shows that this team still has the fight and heart to deliver for their country.

The defending gold medalists from Beijing and 2012 World League runner-ups drew a tough group of opponents in Brazil and Russia—the top two ranked teams in the Olympics. 

This U.S. team is still right there with the best, however. The Americans were able to defeat Brazil in the 2008 Beijing gold-medal game and the Russians in the semifinal game. Brazil was able to get some revenge on the U.S. in the World Cup last year. 

As the U.S. opened the 2012 Olympics campaign, there was uncertainty on how this squad will be able to compete with the two perennial powers of Brazil and Russia.

Well, the Americans started off strong, defeating No. 7 Serbia and No. 10 Germany. In both games, the No. 5 U.S. team did not drop a set.

The Americans followed their strong play with an upset over top-ranked Brazil, 3-1. The U.S. team was aggressive throughout the first three games. Next up was the No. 2 Russian team.

After a two-set lead for the Americans, the Russians stormed back to even it up. After being one point away from sweeping Russia and clinching the group title, the Americans lost three consecutive points.  With that, the match would be leveled at two sets apiece. 

Russia was able to continue its play in the final set, taking the match 3-2. The loss left a bitter taste in the mouth of the Americans and all the U.S. supporters. After all, the squad was one point away from knocking out the two favorites in Brazil and Russia.

Now, the Americans have to face No. 20 Tunisia.  Following that match will be the elimination rounds.

Guys such as Matt Anderson and Clay Stanley will have to continue to be strong. The first-time Olympian Anderson had 18 points against No. 7 Serbia. Captain Stanley had 19 points against the Brazilian team.

If the two continue to be productive, the chance for gold is still there. The team must be mentally strong in order for victory. Just expect some more nervous encounters when rooting for the U.S. men's volleyball team. 

Twenty-four-year old Destinee Hooker has been the unprecedented hero for Team USA in women's volleyball during these Olympics.

The San Antonio native has led the Americans into their quarterfinal matchup with the Dominican Republic, and has done so in commanding fashion.

Standing at a WNBA-like 6'4'', 161 pounds, Hooker has dominated in London, and has shown no signs of slowing down.

She's recorded 60 points in her last three matches, including a 22-point performance against China during Team USA's victory in straight sets.

Hooker has led the team in points in all of its games, and in order for Team USA to prevail against a Dominican Republic squad, she will have to continue her domination on the court.

The Dominican Republic swept Algeria 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals, and coming off a straight-set victory gives the medal-less country momentum heading into its match against Team USA.

It will either be the younger Dominicans, or the overly dominant Americans taking on the winner of Korea/Italy in the semifinals.

Hooker, a 5-star athlete at the University of Texas, was named MVP during the 2009 season when her Longhorns were ousted by Penn State in the finals.

Needless to say, she's been the MVP of a Team USA that is extremely close to winning the gold medal.

After U.S. captain Lindsey Berg left the team's final preliminary pool play game against Turkey with an ankle injury, the rest of the team stepped up in her absence.

Hooker kept her foot on the accelerator, just as she's done throughout these Olympics, and led Team USA to a date with the Dominicans.

In a sport that doesn't have nearly the popularity in the USA like football or baseball, Hooker has made herself a well-known figure in these Olympics, and her total command of the tournament has been the reason why.

Her fiery will to win (as displayed in every spike she delivers) along with her humble demeanor makes her one of the best Olympians the United States has overseas.

The only thing to top it off with is a gold medal.

Now that pool play is over, the power rankings for the remaining teams have been made clear.

Two teams, Russia and the United States, finished undefeated in pool play, while Italy, China, Brazil and Japan all finished with winning records as well.

Rounding out the final brackets are South Korea and the Dominican Republic.

Of these eight teams, five stand out as clear favorites.

China

China's losses in pool play to Brazil and the United States were disappointing. The flattening they received at the hands of the Americans was especially bad, but China is always a threat when they make finals play.

Four years removed from their bronze medal performance in the Beijing games, the Chinese team is still a threat capable of winning any time. 

This probably isn't their year, but the Chinese team will remain a team to watch until they are eliminated.

Brazil

Brazil holds the distinction of being one of just two teams to win a set on the American team.

More impressive, though, was their win over China, which is always a feat to be proud of.

Unfortunately, this Brazil team doesn't look as strong as the team that won gold in Beijing.

After getting flattened by South Korea and handled by the Americans, Brazil looks like they have a tough task in getting past the Russians in the first round.

An upset over the Russians, though, could give Brazil the momentum to win gold.

Italy

The Italian team was stellar in pool play, losing only a tight match to Russia.

Beyond that, they were dominant. The Italians easily dispatched two other teams, the Dominican Republic and Japan, to make the knockout stage

More importantly, their match against the Russians, who were otherwise dominant, showed that either team could have a chance at gold.

Either team could have won that match, so if the two teams play one another again, the result could easily be different.

Of course, Italy would have to get past the Americans first. This would be an incredible task, but it could be done. If Italy does defeat the United States, then they have a very good chance to win gold.

Russia

Russia was arguably the best team in pool play, winning the most points en route to going undefeated.

The reason the Russian team is the not the number one favorite though is because, unlike the United States, Russia was seriously tested by a tough Italian team.

The Dominican Republic and Japan also offered Russia tough matches, so Russia isn't quite as invulnerable as the Americans.

Still, their undefeated record accurately portrays their talents. This is a tough team that will have a very real chance at gold.

Expect Russia to make the finals, where they will likely play the Americans for gold.

United States

Speaking of the United States, they have asserted themselves as the overall favorite to win gold after a dominating performance in pool play.

This team just knows how to win. They didn't really dominate any of their opponents, but they always did enough to win.

One thing working against the Americans is that they were never seriously tested in pool play. How they will respond in pressure packed games remains to be seen.

But there is no reason not to favor the United States for the gold. They are a tough, deep team that plays tremendous defense.

Expect the United States to face Russia for gold in what should be a truly exciting match.

Watching Russia rally from match point with a two-set deficit to beat the United States men's volleyball team looked like a crushing blow to America's hopes to repeat as Olympic volleyball gold medalists.

The rest of the world better not write off the U.S. men's volleyball team that easily. Their performance against the top two teams in the world proves that this team is still on par with the sport's elite.

America entered the London Olympics ranked fifth in the world. The defending gold medalists from Beijing and the 2012 World League runner-ups then drew into the proverbial group of death.

Top-ranked Brazil and second-ranked Russia came in as the favorites to win the group. Brazil lost to the Americans in the 2008 gold-medal final before beating them in last year's World Cup en route to a championship. Russia took bronze in Beijing after losing to the U.S. 3-2 in the semifinals.

The United States dominated its first three matches of the 2012 London Games. It swept past No. 7 Serbia and No. 10 Germany with decisive 3-0 victories before upsetting Brazil 3-1. The Americans were one point away from sweeping Russia to clinch the group title before dropping three consecutive points and the next two sets.

A collapse like that gives Russia tremendous momentum heading into the final day of group play. The rally will likely linger in everyone's minds if the U.S. faces them again in the knockout rounds.

It's hard not to focus on the bitter taste left over from that most recent result, but the team needs to be applauded for what it accomplished before failing to finish for a group win.

A No. 5 world ranking notes that the U.S. men aren't considered among the favorites to medal in London. But their play so far suggests that they never got that memo. America stood one point away from upsetting the world's top two teams with only one set lost through its first four matches.

The U.S. now gets a chance to regroup from the Russian rally with its final group match against No. 20 Tunisia. Then it's off to the elimination rounds where the Americans carry the advantage of already seeing and playing well against the top teams.

Choking against Russia may create some doubt among the U.S. men, but their play in their first seven sets against Brazil and Russia should instead create supreme confidence in their chances to medal.

The Americans returned six players from their gold-medal run in Beijing.

Rookie Olympian Matt Anderson led the team with 18 points against both Serbia and Russia. He also scored 15 against Germany, just one point behind Clay Stanley's team-leading 16. Stanley also led the team with 19 points against Brazil.

This combined production from both rising stars and proven veteran leaders is exactly what the U.S. needs to defend its gold medal.

Team USA held advantages in kills (57-56), blocks (6-2), aces (9-5) and digs (39-31) against Brazil. The numbers show that beating the world's top-ranked team was no fluke. While the collapse against Russia is concerning, playing within one point of sweeping the No. 2 team is a feat that needs to draw similar respect.

If the U.S. men can regroup mentally from its recent defeat, they have what it takes physically to hang another gold medal around their necks.

The legendary American volleyball duo of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh has won the last two gold medals and is gunning for a third at the 2012 London Olympics.

But there are also some other Americans who have a shot at making waves in the Olympics this year: Jennifer Kessy and April Ross.

Kessy and Ross not only upset May-Treanor and Walsh in the AVP tournament in September 2008, they defeated the dynamic Brazilian duo of Juliana Silva and Larissa Franca in the 2009 World Championships. And as the talented Americans head into their first Olympic Games, they would be wise to take a history lesson from May-Treanor and Walsh.

May-Treanor and Walsh have won two gold medals at the Olympics in large part due to their chemistry, which has propelled them forward time and time again.

Kessy and Ross have a bit of momentum themselves after some standout victories the past few years and by now they've grown with each other, feeding off each other's desire and dedication to the sport. They've been a team since 2007, barely missing the cut for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and they each hold their fair share of individual accomplishments as well.

Kessy and Ross head into London with the fourth seed in the women's volleyball event, per Yahoo! Sports. While they have the talent to make a big impact this summer, they are still considered underdogs.

This, of course, is nothing new for the duo. They were underdogs in their first season together and responded by becoming the lowest seeded team to win an FIVB event in history. They were seeded 29th before winning the event.

Kessy and Ross have racked up a lot of miles together en route to their first appearance in the Olympics. Here's to hoping their chemistry will push them forward like it has for May-Treanor and Walsh.

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Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh will take a step back at the 2012 London Olympics because they already have.

May-Treanor and Walsh may have won the title in the 1to1 Energy FIVB Grand Slam on Saturday in Gstaad, Switzerland, but that doesn't change the fact that they haven't been dominant overall in 2012.

Headed into Gstaad, the two-time Olympic gold medalists had reached the final four only once in their five tournaments in 2012. In fact, fellow Olympians April Ross and Jennifer Kessy may actually have a better chance in the 2012 Summer Games.

The favorites this year have to be Larissa Franca and Juliana Silva of Brazil. Remember, Franca and Silva defeated May-Treanor and Walsh, 2-1, in the finals of the 2011 Rome World Championships.

There's also the Chinese duo of Xue Chen and Zhang Xi, who broke Franca and Silva's gold-medal winning streak in the FIVB World Tour Women's final in August 2010. They also won a bronze medal in the 2011 World Championships.

There is no doubting the American duo's ability, of course. May-Treanor and Walsh are still to be feared heading into the Summer Olympics this year.

But I can't get past their loss to the Brazilians last year, not to mention their uncharacteristic play overall this year. I just think Franca and Silva are more consistent and solid these days, ready to claim the throne. They have gotten better, while May-Treanor and Walsh appear to be slipping.

It will make for interesting competition this year, given a few duos have a legitimate shot of grabbing the gold medal, but I ultimately see the reigning Olympic champions giving way to Franca and Silva.

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