Olympic gold confirms US volleyball dominance
Sunday, 24 Aug 2008 09:51
A gold medal win for the US volleyball team
The men's volleyball gold was won by the US on the final day of the Olympics, overcoming Athens champions Brazil in a very good year for the Americans.
The US side have already won the FIVB World League for the first time and today beat Brazil 20-25 25-22 25-21 25-23 in a competitive match which, after the first set, looked like it could have gone either way.
With the score at 17-15 in the Americans' favour in the second set the match remained close, but William Priddy and Clayton Stanley managed to see off the Brazilian threat to level the match.
The US asserted their control in the third set but the fourth was closer, with Brazil opening up an early lead.
Stanley's spikes proved the difference between the two sides as the US came through, adding yet another gold to the US' second-placed Beijing medal haul.