TOKYO — She couldn't really explain the feeling. Before the U.S. women's volleyball team played Serbia in the Olympic semifinals, Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson envisioned her team not just winning, but carrying out its game plan to perfection.
Playing to perfection, U.S. women's volleyball team sweeps Serbia, goes for gold medal next
The United States avenged its loss to Serbia in the semifinals of the 2016 games in Brazil by putting together an effort that played out precisely as planned.
August 6, 2021 at 11:06AM
"I actually have never felt that before,'' she said. "I just woke up and I was like, 'We're going to do this. We're going to get it done.' I'm glad that came to fruition.''
That premonition translated to a rout of Serbia, launching the U.S. into the gold-medal match. Friday's 3-0 victory gave the Americans a measure of vengeance against the team that knocked them out of the 2016 Rio Olympics, also in the semifinals. But the 25-19, 25-15, 25-23 romp at Ariake Arena wasn't about the past.
The sole thing on their minds, Akinradewo Gunderson said, was staying on course for a gold medal. The U.S. (6-1) will play Brazil in the final (11:30 p.m. start Saturday night, Twin Cities time), seeking the first-ever Olympic gold for U.S. women's volleyball.
Jordan Thompson of Edina sat out her third consecutive match because of an ankle injury. U.S. coach Karch Kiraly said Thompson could have played if necessary, but he was happy her teammates' dominance allowed her another day of recovery time.
Akinradewo Gunderson led the U.S. defense with three blocks, and the U.S. offense was humming, too. Annie Drews, who stepped into the gap left by Thompson's absence, contributed a team-high 12 kills. Another injured player, setter Jordyn Poulter, returned to the lineup and kept things running smoothly.
"I thought we executed phenomenally,'' Akinradewo Gunderson said. "This is what I envisioned for us, being clinical about it and executing the game plan. "I don't think it was about getting redemption. We just want to win a gold medal. And whatever that takes, we're going to do it.''
Kiraly called the 2016 loss to Serbia "an absolute soul-crusher'' and was excited for the rematch. He praised his team for neutralizing Serbia's Tijana Boscovic, whom he called "probably the most lethal player in the tournament.''
Boscovic entered Friday's game with 124 kills, by far the most of any player at the Games, and was hitting .392. Kiraly's aim was for the U.S. to hold her to a hitting percentage around .300. His players did better than that, as Boscovic ended the match with 16 kills on 41 attempts and hit .122.
"Our team came out solid and executed the game plan to near perfection,'' Kiraly said. "We're excited to be in the final.''
The U.S. kept Serbia off balance for most of the match. Serbia had difficulty hitting over the Americans' blockers and had eight service errors.
Kiraly said Thompson has been ready to play for the past three days, praising the team's medical staff for getting Thompson through an injury that typically would require four to eight weeks of recovery time. She said after the match that her ankle feels good.
"I wouldn't necessarily say she's 100%, feeling exactly like she did before,'' Kiraly said. "But she's ready to go. We were ready to put her in if need be. But we didn't need to, so she gets a little extra time.''
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