Team USA women’s volleyball advances to semifinals with sweep

Opposite Annie Drews scored 13 points, and Team USA’s women’s volleyball team played its best match of the 2024 Summer Olympics and swept Poland 25-22, 25-14, 25-20 in the quarterfinals in Paris on Tuesday.

The win sends the U.S. to its fifth consecutive Olympic semifinal berth.

Outside hitters Kathryn Plummer and Avery Skinner each scored 12 points for Team USA. Santa Cruz’s Kelsey Robinson Cook, a 6-2 outside hitter, had one kill and two digs.

The Americans face world No. 1 Brazil on Thursday in the semifinals, a replay of the gold medal match in Tokyo.

Brazil, which went unbeaten in pool play, dominated the Dominican Republic 25-22, 25-13, 25-17 in the quarterfinals.

The U.S. dominated Poland in kills (44-30) and led in aces (6-3), while staying nearly even (12-10) in blocks with one of the world’s top blocking teams.

U.S. Head Coach Karch Kiraly said the team’s new starting lineup, which was introduced against Serbia during pool play and has Plummer and Skinner at the outsides, came together with some key substitutions for the victory.

“Most other teams have been playing for years with the same starting lineup,” Kiraly said. “We now have three matches… We’re excited because we feel like we’re just getting going with this slugger lineup.”

The team was also excited about the return of backup setter Lauren Carlini, who had missed the last two matches with an injury. Setter Micha Hancock returned to official alternate status.

The U.S. finished with a significant advantage in digs (67-55) and scored four more points on opponent errors (15-11).

Skinner nearly registered a triple-double with 12 kills, 10 digs, and eight successful receptions. Plummer scored 12 points on eight kills, two blocks, and two key aces late in the third set. Plummer led the team with 10 successful receptions and contributed five digs, and Drews added seven digs.

Libero Justine Wong-Orantes finished with a match-high 14 digs and added four successful receptions. Setter Jordyn Poulter, who led the team to a .262 hitting efficiency percentage, scored four points on two blocks and two aces, and recorded nine digs.

Middle blockers Chiaka Ogbogu and Haleigh Washington combined for 13 points. Ogbogu hit .571 with four kills in seven attacks, while Washington added three kills in six attacks. Both players finished with two blocks and an ace. Veteran Jordan Larson scored four points on three kills and a block.

USAvolleyball.org contributed to this report.