Brazil wins first Olympic Women's Volleyball gold

(BEIJING, August 23) -- Coming off a seventh FIVB World Grand Prix title, World No. 1 Brazil won its first Olympic Women's Volleyball gold medal, beating the United States 25-15, 18-25, 25-13, 25-21 in the final on August 23. The match gave the dominant Brazilians their only dropped set of the tournament.

The match kicked off with top scorers Logan Tom of the United States and Paula Pequeno of Brazil trading shots until a triple block from Brazil's Sheilla Castro, Marianne Steinbrecher and Fabiana Claudino blew their team's lead out to 18-10. Pequeno's service aces clinched the first set in Brazil's favor.

In the second set, the US team took an early 5-1 lead with double spikes by Tom and Tayyiba Haneef-Park. Walewska Oliveira of Brazil and Steinbrecher applied pressure on the net to slow down the American attackers but to no avail as the United States prevailed 25-18 -- ending Brazil's set streak at 22.

Brazil, led by Claudino, opened the third set strongly and advanced to an 8-5 lead at the first technical time-out. The United States were struggling with their ball-handling, whereas the Brazilian hitters were driving deep down both sides of the court. Steinbrecher's powerful left-side spike ended the set at 25-13.

In the fourth set, Castro's left-side spikes continued to trouble the US team' defense but Kimberly Glass of the United States matched her Brazilian rival's intensity to help tie the scores at 10-10. Claudino and Steinbrecher paired again to dominate the net, while Haneef-Park managed on occasion to penetrate Brazil's tight defense with some quick spikes.

Two killer blocks by Claudino and Castro and a wild shot by Tom ended the set and the match in the South Americans' favor, leaving the US team with their second Olympic silver medal since the Los Angeles 1984 Games.