Complete Guide to Women's Volleyball at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Brazilians love volleyball, and they field some of the world's best teams both on the sand and in the gym. Women's indoor volleyball leads the way for the host nation in these Olympics, having won gold at the last two.
Top-ranked United States looms in Brazil's way, and upsets lurk in these tournaments, especially in the quarterfinal round, which is win-or-go-home.
Here's what you need to know heading into the women's volleyball tournament in Rio.
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.
Saturday, August 6: Pool play begins
Tuesday, August 16: Quarterfinals
Thursday, August 18: Semifinals
Saturday, August 20: Medal matches
Top Storylines
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Brazil vs. United States
The world's two best teams are still Brazil and the United States, and they are expected to meet up again in the gold-medal match.
Brazil has beaten the United States in the gold-medal match of the last two Olympics, and both teams have been trading punches over the last few years, with the U.S. beating Brazil for the 2014 World Championship but Brazil most recently taking down the U.S. in five sets to win the World Grand Prix in July.
The results page from TeamUSA.org is a nice resource to track the team's success over the past four years.
“Brazil will be the greatest Olympic volleyball environment ever,” Team USA coach Karch Kiraly told the OC Register's Scott M. Reid.
Is Karch a golden coach?
Kiraly is widely regarded as the greatest volleyball player of all time and is the most decorated at the Olympic level. He won gold for the U.S. men's indoor squad at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics and then won gold on the sand when beach volleyball debuted at the 1996 Olympics. He is battle tested and does not take kindly to losing.
Having been a coach for less than a decade, he is suddenly back in the Olympic spotlight and has a chance to add another notch to the legendary belt he already wears.
Cameroon!
OK, so maybe it's not a top storyline to follow a team that has a slim chance of winning any of its matches in Rio, but you've got to be pulling for Cameroon.
The Lionesses earned their first trip to the Olympics after upsetting Egypt in the African continental tournament, and according to FloVolleyball's Megan Kaplon, they arrived in Rio three months ago to start training with Brazilian coaches.
Watch some of the tape of the Egypt match, especially the post-win celebration when the crowd storms the court, and you'll instantly be pulling for this team. They're in a tough pool, but it'd be great if they won a couple of sets.
Ping back with China
"Jenny" Lang Ping is one of China's all-time greatest volleyball players and a true legend in her home country. However, she ended up coaching—of all places—with Team USA from 2005 to 2008, where the Americans took silver in, you guessed it, China.
Now she is back at the helm in China with an upset-minded team that is ranked third in the world heading into the tournament.
Can't-Miss Matches
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There are some pool-play matches that will carry a lot of meaning before things get going in the final round. There will be more lopsided affairs than in the balanced men's tournament, however.
World rankings are listed with each team here.
Friday, August 12
No. 4 Russia vs. No. 5 Japan
No. 3 China vs. No. 6 Serbia
Both of these matches could decide who takes third place in their respective groups, which carries a lot of weight heading into the elimination rounds.
Sunday, August 14
No. 3 China vs. No. 1 USA
No. 4 Russia vs. No. 2 Brazil
If all four of these teams enter the day undefeated, these matches will determine the top seed from each group. Upsets by Russia or China could change the complexion of the tournament, as Brazil and Team USA would face higher-seeded opponents in the quarterfinals.
Saturday, August 20
Gold Medal Match
If Brazil is facing Team USA in this match, it's going to be special.
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Top Players to Watch
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Nataliya Goncharova, Opposite, Russia
The term "put the team on your back" fits well for 6'4" Goncharova, who surprisingly still has a right arm attached to her body. According to FloVolleyball, she received 37 percent of Russia's sets in the World Grand Prix, taking a total of 554 swings in the process. Ice, please!
Kim Yeon-Koung, Outside Hitter, Korea
The reigning Olympic MVP is 6'4" and often sees a triple block in front of her. She was the top scorer at the World Cup.
After a match against Korea in May, Netherlands coach Giovanni Guidetti told the FIVB “Kim Yeon-Koung is something special. I have never seen anything like that in my 20 years in volleyball.”
Kim Hill, Outside Hitter, USA
The MVP from the 2014 World Championships, Hill is a 6'4" left-side attacker who can punish the ball from the front and back row alike.
The Pepperdine alum, 26, was Team USA's second-highest scorer in just her second year on the team (2014), and had 26 aces in 45 sets during the final round of 2015 World Grand Prix play.
Sheilla Castro, Opposite, Brazil
A 33-year-old veteran, Castro continues to produce as Brazil's top weapon. She has been with the team for the last two Olympics and knows what it takes to beat Team USA, and she will be getting a ton of touches for the host nation.
Team USA Outlook
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Team USA is big, powerful, and starving for its first-ever gold medal. As the top threat to the host team, the Americans will play the villain in Rio as Brazil's fans anticipate a meeting in the finals. Kiraly and his squad can't overlook pool play, however, as China and Serbia are both strong teams with the ability to pull off the upset. A second-place finish in Group B would be a letdown heading into elimination play.
Only three players—Jordan Larson, Foluke Akinradewo, and Christa Harmotto Dietzen—return from the London Olympic team, but the majority of the roster that won the nation's first-ever World Championship is in Rio. Then there's the experience of Kiraly, who may be newer to coaching but is familiar with high-pressure situations on the biggest stage.
This is as good a shot as Team USA can get, and anything but gold will sting for another four years.
Medal Predictions
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Gold: Brazil
Silver: USA
Bronze: China
Brazil has most of the 2012 Olympic gold-medalist roster back, and it will have a home-court advantage unlike any other in Rio.
Team USA is stacked but also coming out of a tougher pool in Group B and won't have quite as easy a journey to the championship match.
Brazil should win Group A without trouble, but Team USA will have to get past a Chinese team that has already beaten them once this summer (the Americans won the next two).
While it's hard to bet against Karch Kiraly in anything, the Brazilians are in the driver's seat for Rio. China should win bronze. Look for a surprise run to the medal round from the likes of Serbia or Korea.
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