The U.S. women's volleyball team secured its berth to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on Sunday, beating Argentina in straight sets Sunday at a Tokyo women's volleyball qualification tournament in Bossier City, La.

Middle blocker Tori Dixon, a former Gophers standout from Burnsville, is back in a key role with the U.S. after she was forced to miss the 2016 Olympics because of a left knee injury that required reconstructive surgery on her anterior cruciate ligament. She won Sunday on her 27th birthday.

"I am really glad with how we played, how we performed. It is a best birthday present ever, honestly," Dixon said. "Our outsides and Jordan Thompson did a great job. They came in and carried a big load all summer long, especially today."

Thompson (Edina) will return to the University of Cincinnati this fall. She had a match-high 16 points with 13 kills, two aces and a block in Sunday's match.

Former Gophers Hannah and Paige Tapp (Stewartville), Sarah Wilhite Parsons (Eden Prairie), Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul) and Samantha Seliger-Swenson (Minnetonka) also are part of USA Volleyball's national team player pool.

Coach Karch Kiraly's third-ranked Americans went unbeaten in Pool C of qualifying this weekend. The United States has never won Olympic gold, capturing bronze in the Rio Games three years ago.

"We can be really proud with how we fought through here, especially the challenge that Bulgaria through at us down two sets to one and the nice response we put together," Kiraly said. "This is huge for the program. Everybody knows that we are going to Tokyo. We got that ticket locked in. We worked really hard for that this year. That helps in the planning, and it makes it that much closer in the distance."

Chicago completes sweep of Saints

The Saints struck for three first-inning runs, but, as was the case all weekend, there was no shutting down the Chicago Dogs, who countered with five runs in the bottom of the first off John Kilichowski on the way to a 10-5 loss and a Chicago weekend sweep.

The Saints gave up 33 runs in the three games.

The Saints' Landon Beck cooled off the Dogs with 3⅓ innings of relief before Chicago put up five unanswered runs.

John Silviano hit his seventh homer for St. Paul.

Etc.

• The Duluth Huskies, who were leading the Great Plains East Division of the Northwoods League, will have five victories removed from their second-half record because of a roster violation, the league announced. The move changed the Huskies' record from 18-10 to 13-15. Eau Claire and Waterloo, the Huskies' opponents in the five games, will have the losses removed from their record but they will not receive victories.