Continued: Time, effort pay off

Credit that to Lang, who passed all the praise to her players. "We've never won in three sets over Cuba,'' she said. "I'm happy for them. It's their dream. My responsibility is to them.''

Lang's steady hand has kept the Americans on course during an emotional Games. Like the men's team, they still carried the burden of the Aug. 9 attack in Beijing that killed Todd Bachman and injured his wife, Barbara. The Bachmans' daughter Elisabeth is a former national team member and 2004 Olympian who remains close to many on the current team.

Berg and several other players had "Wiz''--Elisabeth Bachman's nickname--written in red ink on their taped fingers. They will carry that symbolic unity to Saturday's finals, where they hope to achieve the greatest tribute possible.

"We are playing for her and her family,'' Berg said. "She is part of our family. This makes it even sweeter.

"We've worked so hard. We're still practicing and fighting, and I know we can get better. We know we already have a medal, which is unbelievable. Why not go for gold?''

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