Lindsey Berg added to a U.S. volleyball team that's among contenders

As a veteran of one Olympic volleyball team, Lindsey Berg knew what it would take to succeed in Beijing -- even before she earned her ticket there. Berg, a former Gophers star, helped the United States finish fourth in the 2008 FIVB World Grand Prix standings with a victory over China in July's final round.

Berg played for the U.S. team that finished fifth at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Last month, just days after that spirited triumph over the Olympic host nation, the Honolulu native was named to the 12-woman Summer Games roster. Berg, a three-time All-Big Ten setter for the Gophers, is part of a well-traveled team that includes eight players with Olympic experience.

"We're very excited to come out of our last game of this tournament with a win and playing with a lot of heart and fight," Berg, 28, said after the Grand Prix defeat of China.

"That's what we'll need in the Olympics. Everybody on the team contributed. We will take this into the Olympics and fight every match."

Berg finished her Gophers career in 2001 with 5,913 assists, third most in Big Ten history. She has been a regular on U.S. international rosters since 2003, playing in several World Grand Prix, World Cup and NORCECA tournaments. Last year, she helped the United States qualify for the Olympics by taking the bronze medal at the FIVB World Cup.

The U.S. women are ranked fourth in the world heading into the Olympics. They are coached by Jenny Lang Ping, a star outside hitter on the Chinese team that won the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She also coached China to a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.