U.S. can't find rhythm in tough loss to China Introductions and bad play haunt volleyball team
Sunday, August 15, 2004

By Jimmy Smith
Staff writer

ATHENS, GREECE -- From the beginning, it appeared as though it might be a disconcerting night for the U.S. women's volleyball team Saturday.

Not only were the Americans given the unlucky draw of facing one of the top contenders for the gold medal and one of their chief rivals, the People's Republic of China, but the public address announcer at Peace and Friendship Stadium couldn't even get the names right.
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As he enthusiastically went through the starting lineups, he announced the U.S. team surname first.

It was Scott Danielle, for example, instead of Danielle Scott, and Tom Logan, and Sykora Stacy, and so on.

The Chinese later added insult to insult, taking the match in four sets, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18, despite losing their best player, Zhou Ruirui early in the first set with a knee injury.

Zhou had to be carried from the court on a stretcher. There was no update on her condition.

Nevertheless Scott, a Baton Rouge native on her third U.S. Olympic Team, still could crack a smile afterward.

"We really didn't have a good start in that first set," Scott said. "We had a little trouble with our passing. And we're a rhythm team. And when we're not passing well, we can't use the middle of the floor to open up the outside. So we definitely kind of struggled with that."

Nevertheless the Americans evened the match by taking the second set 25-23, and it appeared as though the U.S. might be able to swing momentum its way.

After all, in two matches against China before the Olympics, the U.S. managed a split, winning in three sets in one match, not long after losing a five-setter in the first round of a Grand Prix tournament.

"That was one of those could a, would a, should a matches," said Scott, who scored 11 points, spiking nine of 17 chances and blocking two of 13. "When we met them the second time, we executed our game plan perfectly and beat them in three. So it's possible. It's definitely possible."

But this time, the Americans had no answer for China's technical brilliance and crisp and deft passing. Following a three-point third-set victory, the Chinese ran away with the match in the final set, outscoring the Americans by seven.

The U.S. team will practice today to iron out its flaws before facing Germany on Tuesday in the second match of the preliminaries.

"Everyone is good at this point," Scott said. "It all just depends on how you play. Usually it's a two-point game. But you just go out there and take whatever you can get.

"With China behind us, I don't know if it will get any easier. But we'll definitely have to play better the rest of the way if we're going to achieve our goal."

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Jimmy Smith can be reached at jsmith@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3814.