USA Men’s Volleyball took it to France in the first day of pool play with a three set to zero. Both countries are seen as gold medal contenders, and this was seen as a heavy weight fight. However, the US men came out guns blazing and never looked back.
How it Happened
The US opened with a 5-0 run in set one. This led to France taking an early timeout. France continued to work hard and had some chances. Both teams showed early chemistry on the offensive and defensive end as well in the serve receive game. Ultimately, the US took set one 25-18.
The US took at 8-5 lead in set two. France looked like a new team and both teams were making mistakes. But there were still great plays on both sides of the net. Due to poor serving by France, USA took a 12-8 lead warranting a France timeout. France battled back but fell 25-18 again.
Things didn’t get much better for France with a 7-2 deficit in set three. First time Olympian TJ DeFalco was all over the place over the course of the match. With a 21-16 lead, France took another timeout to try to get a spark. Back and forth service errors got the French back in it with a 23-20 score. Due to a crushing serving error by France, the US took it 25-22.
Matt Anderson and Company Were on Fire
Matt Anderson finished with 13 points for the US. He could not ne stopped as he racked up the kills. His teammates Taylor Sander had 15 and DeFalco finished with 10. This was a rout that nobody saw coming. You can see complete stats of the match for both sides here. The US are gearing up for what they hope will be a long run in Tokyo.
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