Complete Guide to Men's Volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics
When the long rallies happen in men's indoor volleyball, they are absolutely riveting.
Brazil fields the top-ranked team heading into its own Olympic Games. At the highest level, you don't need to be a volleyball aficionado to be enthralled by the game, which features some of the world's best leapers crushing the ball straight down at 80 mph, only to have it dug up by a defender to keep the rally going.
The Brazilians, who have won silver in the last two Olympics, do not have an easy road to gold in a field that features plenty of medal contenders, including the United States. The last two Olympic finals have been thrillers, with the U.S. upsetting Brazil in Beijing and Russia doing the same in a five-set marathon in London. This promises to be an intense tournament with a lot to look for as pool play proceeds into the elimination playoff.
Here is what you need to know heading into the 2016 Olympic men's volleyball tournament.
The Schedule
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There are two pools of six teams in the tournament, and the top four from each pool will advance to the knockout rounds.
Sunday, August 7: Pool play begins
Wednesday, August 17: Quarterfinals
Friday, August 19: Semifinals
Sunday, August 21: Medal matches
Top Storylines
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Will Brazil Break Through?
Brazil is hungry to win on the homefront.
Volleyball is a major sport in Brazil, and the men's team has taken the top seed in each of the last two Olympics only to be upset in the gold medal match. They should cruise out of pool play, but there are no guarantees after that. They are the world's top team, but there are land-mines everywhere in this very even field. Just last month, they fell in another gold-medal match—this time for the World League title against No. 8 Serbia.
Reeling Russia
It's been an unsteady summer for defending gold-medalist Russia, which has gone 5-4 in World League play since being swept by Serbia in mid-July. Russia's most recent match was a sweep at the hands of the United States. In that match, the U.S. fought off four Russian set points in the first game to win 35-33, then won the next two 25-17, 25-21.
The Russians will also be without starting outside hitter Alexander Markin due to a doping suspension. The defending champs face a long road to get back to the title game, and could find themselves making an early exit.
Dark-horse France
The French have never finished higher than eighth in the Olympic tournament, but they could very well win a medal in Rio despite not even qualifying for the Olympics in 12 years. The French shocked everyone with a gold medal in the 2015 World League and a bronze this year, and they have recently beaten the likes of Brazil and Russia. No one will be able to overlook them once elimination matches begin.
Cuban Crisis
In a sport in which most of the players are in their late 20s and can often play until their late 30s, the Cuban team has had to piece together a roster that consists of five players still in their teens. This was not by design, but rather because of six players being arrested on suspicion of rape during a tournament in Finland in early July. Those six players will not be in Rio, and Cuba's next generation is getting the call early.
Can't-Miss Matches
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With such a balance in the top half of the field, there are numerous highly anticipated pool-play matches on the Olympic stage. Here are some (world rankings listed):
Tuesday, August 9:
No. 4 Italy vs. No. 5 United States
Two teams with medal potential battle it out in what could determine who takes the first or second seed out of Group A. The U.S. swept Italy in World League play on June 26 only to fall to them later in the tournament on July 4 (of all days).
Thursday, August 11:
No. 1 Brazil vs. No. 5 USA
This is a rematch of the 2008 Olympic Final, which the USA won in four sets. It was an emotional game for both sides, as Brazil was sorely disappointed in failing to defend its title, while the U.S. was dealing with the tragic murder of coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law in Beijing during the Games. More recently, on July 15th, the U.S. stormed back from an 0-2 set deficit to force a fifth set before losing.
No. 12 Canada vs. No. 11 France
Two dark-horse medal hopefuls square off in a match that will likely decide who makes the elimination round and who packs up to go home.
Monday, August 15:
No. 2 Poland vs. No. 3 Russia
With the rest of Group B relatively weak, this matchup should decide the pool's top seed heading into the win-or-go-home rounds.
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Top Players to Watch
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Dmitriy Muserskiy, Middle Blocker, Russia
A 7-foot monster in the middle, Muserskiy absolutely crushes the ball.
Max Holt, Middle Blocker, USA
A 6'9" middle who seems to be able to get his whole torso over the net. He's a big obstacle for opposing hitters.
Ricardo Lucarelli Santos de Souza, Outside Hitter, Brazil
Brazil's high-flying youngster is an offensive threat from the front and back row.
Gavin Schmitt, Opposite, Canada
Schmitt is a fiery right-side attacker who also detonates balls from the service line.
Luciano De Cecco, Setter, Argentina
Soft, quick hands and perfect placement make De Cecco one of the world's best setters.
Ivan Zaytsev, Opposite, Italy
Zaytsev is a tremendously physical player who generates power by bending way back and whipping into the ball.
Jenia Grebennikov, Libero, France
Enough with the big guys at the net. France's fearless libero is the best in the world, and this highlight tape is ridiculous.
Team USA Outlook
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Team USA went from gold in Beijing to a quarterfinal exit in London. This time around, it is a similarly unpredictable situation. The team has the potential to win gold, but with a host of younger players in their first Olympics, inexperience might come into play for the big matches.
Leadership will come from veteran outside hitter Reid Priddy, 38, and David Lee, 34. Taylor Sander, 24, is a young gun who can be the best player on the court in any given match. Micah Christenson, just 23, runs the offense as a setter. John Speraw, who is also the head coach at UCLA, heads into his fourth year at the helm of the national team.
The U.S. will hope to make it out of Group play with the second seed behind Brazil and should then get a decent quarterfinal matchup to advance to the medal round.
Medal Predictions
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Gold — Brazil
Silver — USA
Bronze — France
A gold medal in men's volleyball would be one of the biggest moments of the Rio Olympics for the host nation. In fact, if the soccer team does not return to the championship game and win its first-ever gold, the volleyball competition—for the men or women—would likely be the most coveted gold. Brazil has something to prove after taking silver in the last two Olympics, and it's going to be a rowdy crowd for the final.
USA has the leadership and talent to make it to the championship game, especially if they take the second seed out of Group A. Look for Taylor Sander to have a breakout performance on the big stage.
France's excellent defense and momentum heading into the tournament will lead to a surprise bronze.
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