Rio Olympics 2016: Brazil’s men win volleyball gold on final day

Three points stood between the USA men’s volleyball team and a spot in the final.

The 27-year-old Italian with the spiky hair and tattoos simply refused to let it slip away, contributing an inspirational performance.

Italy had been more than twice as efficient as Brazil in spiking but their errors proved costly with their patchy display summed up by Ivan Zaytsev ploughing his serve into a team-mate on set point.

After losing the last two finals, Brazil reclaimed the Olympic men’s volleyball gold medal with a 3-0 victory over Italy at the Maracazinho in Rio on Sunday, August 21.

Still warding off the emotion after the loss, Sander, the former BYU volleyball star, said, “We’re going to treat it like a gold-medal match”. “It was a great match”.

USA coach John Speraw, who brought a young team to Rio with eight players who had never competed in the Olympics, said Italy had played the best volleyball at the Games, and he praised his players for responding to the challenges well. The U.S. took set point again at 26-25, but was then charged with a violation. “I nearly feel today we need to mourn”. “I know we will”.

“It’s hard to put into words”, said middle-blocker Max Holt.

Mighty Italy just had a little more in a match that will surely become an Olympic volleyball classic. “We just didn’t do it”. Instead the two teams entertained the loud, rowdy crowd, which was firmly behind Italy with a small but boisterous group supporting the Americans, by trading big hits and key blocks. It has taken silver twice, in 1996 and 2004. “It’s a dream that can continue”.

“It was unusual. There was a really strong force inside us telling us, ‘Don’t give up, keep fighting, ‘” Italy’s Ivan Zaytsev said.

“I was excited”, he said of the serves that topped 123 kilometers an hour. “Because in the World League of 2013 against the US he had three aces or something like that”.

At the London Olympics in 2012, Russian Federation came from behind to snatch the gold medal away from Brazil.

Despite the poor third set, Italy looked as if it was in control throughout much of the semifinal clash.

“I have all the faith in our guys to fight and be tough through this match”, Anderson said. “You’re not golden until you have all three sets”.

The U.S. has had its share of ups and downs in Rio.

Italy has never taken home the gold in men’s volleyball, finishing with bronze in 2012, 2000 and 1984.

For the United States of America players, coaches and staff the bronze was reward for four years of hard work and preparation and more importantly something to be celebrated. We get another chance to play together. Over and over again he celebrated each point that got his team closer to an Olympic title.

“Bummer it’s not the right color”. So when both teams met in the gold final, the Italians were supposed to be the favorites.