College | A good loss? Volleyball coaches beg to differ

Top volleyball minds see no special lessons in losing

#22 Colorado def. #2 Washington 3-2 (27-25, 26-24, 17-25, 23-25, 15-11)

• #2 Washington @ Utah | Sat, Nov 15 | 6PM

Olympics | Karch Kiraly: The Next Chapter

Volleyblog Seattle authors Volleyball Magazine feature about USA head coach Karch Kiraly

Your Volleyblog Seattle correspondents were honored to write a feature article about Karch Kiraly for the January 2013 issue of Volleyball Magazine.

Olympics | Karch Kiraly named new head coach of USA women’s volleyball

Hall of Fame Olympian replaces Hugh McCutcheon; calls former Washington setter Courtney Thompson "a good example for a lot of athletes."

[updated at 3:26pm | September 11, 2012 with reaction from Jim McLaughlin]

Karch Kiraly was named today as the new head coach of the USA women’s volleyball team.

USA women's head coach Karch Kiraly
-courtesy USA Volleyball

Kiraly, 51, steps up from his assistant coach position to replace Hugh McCutcheon. McCutcheon, who led the USA women’s team to a silver medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games (and the USA men’s team to a gold at the 2008 Beijing Games) is now the head coach at the University of Minnesota.

As a player, the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) named Kiraly as the greatest men’s volleyball player of the sport’s first century. He won national championships at UCLA, indoor Olympic gold medals in 1984 (Los Angeles), and 1988 (Seoul) and, with partner Kent Steffes, he won the inaugural beach Olympic gold medal in 1996 (Atlanta). As a professional, Kiraly’s indoor teams won titles in the Italian League; on the sand, he and partners won 148 beach tournaments.

Olympics | Courtney Thompson: “Losing sucks”

Back in the USA, the Olympic setter talks about the gold medal match, her punch in the nose and her next volleyball assignment. A Volleyblog Seattle exclusive.

For a very long stretch, Courtney Thompson and her Olympic teammates knew nothing but winning.

A 2012 World Grand Prix championship after going undefeated in 14 matches across three continents. Winners of seven straight Olympic matches, dropping just two sets along the way.

Olympics | Lessons learned from volleyball's gold medal match

Brazil 3, USA 1 (11-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17)

After shock and a bit of sadness, fans of USA volleyball will want to evaluate just how sure-fire gold slipped from the team’s fingers. Here, then, are some early talking points:

IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO SERVING AND PASSING

Brazilian ball falls between Nicole Davis and Lindsey Berg
-Getty

In every volleyball match, at every level, winning teams have to serve tough and pass well. Many of USA’s 9 service errors came at inopportune momentum-killing times, especially the 4 by Logan Tom. But USA’s serve-receive was the real story: libero Nicole Davis was simply not up to the task, and USA coach Hugh McCutcheon made a huge mistake sticking with poor-passing Megan Hodge too long. Far too often, USA was operating out-of-system and Brazil was in-system. At this level, that essentially spells defeat.

LINDSEY BERG’S WEAKNESSES WERE EXPOSED

Olympics | Gold Medal Match: How USA beat Brazil 12 days ago

Gold Medal match: USA (7-0) vs. Brazil (5-2)
Saturday, August 11 | 10:30am (Pacific)

Only July 30, USA met Brazil in the second match of Olympic pool play. Coming in, USA had looked erratic in a hard-fought 3-1 victory against South Korea. Brazil had struggled to a 3-2 win against Turkey.

USA’s 3-1 win against Brazil that night was hardly easy (25-18, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21). But a careful review of that contest may shed light on what to expect during Saturday’s gold medal rematch:

USA STEPPED UP ITS PASSING

Logan Tom passes as Nicole Davis looks on during
USA's July 30 win against Brazil
-Getty

After a shaky pool play performance against South Korea, libero Nicole Davis greatly improved her serve-receive game against Brazil. It helped that the Brazilians had a terrible serving night; when they weren’t making service errors (15 for the match), they were delivering easy serves. By comparison, USA served tough, particularly Jordan Larson and Logan Tom.

LOGAN TOM WAS ON FIRE

Olympics | Playing for gold: USA defeats South Korea

USA 3, South Korea 0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-22)

Gold Medal Match: USA vs. Brazil, Saturday, August 11, 10:30am

On a day when its passing and setting were less than stellar, USA found a way to outlast South Korea in straight sets to reach Saturday’s Olympic gold medal match.

Destinee Hooker celebrates during USA's 3-0 semifinal victory over South Korea
-Associated Press

Destinee Hooker was again the star. She had 21 kills and just 1 error on 33 attempts. Her incredible .606 average marked the sixth straight match she has improved her efficiency.

Olympics | Courtney Thompson leads USA to 3-0 victory in quarterfinals

USA 3, Dominican Republic 0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-22)

next: Semifinals, USA (6-0) vs. South Korea (3-3),
Thursday, August 9, 7:00am (Pacific)

USA coach Hugh McCutcheon raised a few eyebrows when he named Courtney Thompson as one of his two 2012 Olympic setters. Some thought Thompson had impressed McCutcheon primarily for her ability to provide a late spark in close matches.

Courtney Thompson sets during 3-0 Olympic
quarterfinal win against Dominican Republic
-FIVB

But when Volleyblog Seattle flatly asked McCutcheon if he thought Thompson could lead the team through an entire match, he didn’t hesitate.

“We wouldn’t have selected her if she couldn’t.”

On a day when three favored teams—Russia, China and Italy—all went down to defeat in the Olympic quarterfinals, it was Courtney Thompson fully at the controls as USA swept Dominican Republic in generally emphatic fashion.

Thompson replaced Lindsey Berg, who injured her right ankle in the third set of Sunday’s pool play victory over Turkey. If she was nervous about her first-ever Olympic start, she didn’t show it.

The first point of the match was a sweet connection between Thompson and middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo. The two were in sync all night, as Akinradewo finished with 10 kills and no errors on 13 attempts … an eye-popping .770 average.

Olympics | How USA and Dominican Republic match up

2012 London Olympic Quarterfinals

USA (5-0) vs. Dominican Republic (2-3)

Tuesday, August 6, 2012, 11:00am (Pacific Time)

Pool Play

USA: 5-0 in Pool B [beat South Korea (3-1), Brazil (3-1), China (3-1), Serbia (3-0), Turkey (3-0)]

Dominican Republic: 2-3 in Pool A [lost to Italy (1-3), Russia (1-3), Japan (0-3); beat Great Britain (3-0), Algeria (3-0)

World Ranking (as of July 4)

USA: #1

Dominican Republic: #11

Foluke Akinradewo attacks against South Korea
-Getty

Keys:

USA’s setters

Starting setter Lindsey Berg left Sunday’s Turkey match with an apparent right ankle injury. After the match, head coach Hugh McCutcheon said she had not torn anything, and Berg said she hoped to play against Dominican Republic. Sources tell us Berg had an MRI on Monday—standard practice, we assume—but no word on results. Berg, who says her knees hurt “all the time,” announced a couple weeks ago that she will retire after these Olympics.

Berg has forged a strong setter/hitter connection with Destinee Hooker, USA’s most consistent and devastating weapon. Berg’s distribution to her outside hitters has remained fairly constant, but she seems less confident setting her middles. Her serving is adequate, and her defense (perhaps because of her knees) can be uninspired. But because she gets the ball to Hooker—right side, left side and back row—the team wins.

When backup setter Courtney Thompson enters matches, Hooker comes out, so Thompson usually works without USA’s best player. Thompson does a great job setting her middles, though, and tends to disguise her sets until the very last moment, often leaving opposing blockers flat-footer. Her serving, usually a plus, has been so-so during the Olympics. But her defense is outstanding, and anytime she plays an entire set, her leadership shines. Both Berg and Thompson are 5-8, so their blocking is a wash. Frankly, if Berg can’t go, the USA will be a slightly different team, but just as good a team.

Dominican Republic’s defense

Libero Brenda Castillo is one of the world’s best defenders, and leads all Olympic setters in digging and serve receiving. USA must have the confidence and patience to serve short or to the deep corners … anywhere except right at Castillo. Great teams also find ways to attack line and set quicks; both strategies usually take liberos out of the play.

Consistent hitting

Dominican Republic has three big experienced hitters (see below,) but each has struggled at times during these Olympics. The middles see very few sets, so USA’s usually overpowering block advantage can make the difference. For USA, Hooker has been great throughout; Logan Tom and Foluke Akinradewo get better each match. McCutcheon will likely keep Jordan Larson in the match as long as she is producing, but he’s been willing to insert Megan Hodge if Larson falters.

	vs. Italy (L 1-3)	vs. Russia (L 1-3)	vs. Japan (L 0-3)	vs. Britain (W 3-0)	vs. Algeria (W 3-0)	total Pool A
Bethania de la Cruz de Pena (6-2 OH)	13/7/45 (.133)	21/6/54 (.277)	15/7/44 (.182)	9/1/12 (.667)	0/0/1 (.000)	58/21/156 (.237)
Milagros Cabral de la Cruz (5-11 OH)	17/7/37 (.270)	16/7/39 (.230)	4/3/15 (.077)	7/5/19 (.105)	11/2/22 (.409)	55/24/132 (.235)
Prisilla Rivera Brens (6-1 OPP)	2/0/5 (.400)	4/4/18 (.000)	14/5/34 (.265)	10/1/20 (.450)	17/0/25 (.680)	47/10/102 (.363)

Prediction

This looks like a 3-0 USA sweep.

I’ll also guess Italy 3-2 over South Korea and China 3-1 over Japan

In the biggest match of the quarterfinals, I think Russia will prevail over defending gold medalist Brazil. It should be 3-1, but a five-set thriller wouldn’t surprise me.

Olympics | Thompson replaces injured Berg as USA goes 5-0

Courtney Thompson replaces Lindsey Berg in third set as USA stays undefeated in Olympic play.

USA 3, Turkey 0 (27, 25, 25-16, 25-19)

• next match: Tuesday, 11:00am (Pacific) USA vs. Dominican Republic (quarterfinals/single elimination)

After a lackluster start, USA swept past Turkey to finish Olympic pool play with a perfect 5-0 record.

With USA leading 9-5 in the third set, starting setter Lindsey Berg came out with an injury. Courtney Thompson finished the match at setter, finishing with 11 assists.

USA trainers treated the upper part of Berg’s leftcalf with ice, compression and elevation. Berg was able to join the team on the court for post-match handshakes.

"It's okay," Berg said after the match. "I felt something different, something was working and I didn't want to push it. I'm sure it will be fine. I hope I can play on Tuesday."

"We think she's OK - nothing torn," said USA head coach Hugh McCutcheon. "Of course, we are concerned. We'll have to see how she is."

Destinee Hooker recorded 17 kills on 38 attacks. Foluke Akinradewo added 9 kills on 12 attacks.

Destinee Hooker receives a congratulatory hug from Courtney Thompson during USA's 3-0 victory against Turkey.
-Associated Press

NOTES;
At the post-match press conference, there were questions about the China vs. South Korea match, won 3-2 by China. Because losing teams one point when a match goes five sets, both China and Korea could guarantee advancing to the quarterfinals if their match went five. Turkey's head coach, Marco Aurelio Motta, declined to speculate whether China and Korea has illegally arranged to ensure their match went past four sets.

Olympics | How was USA able to dominate volleyball powerhouse China?

Final score: USA 3, China 0 (26-24, 25-16, 31-29)

One is the youngest member of the team. The other is the oldest.

Until today, neither Megan Hodge, 24, nor Danielle Scott-Arruda, 39, had seen action in the 2012 Olympic Games.

China's Ruoqi Hui misses a block attempt in a 3-0
loss to USA
-Associated Press

But in a pair of jaw-dropping performances, both Hodge and Scott-Arruda came up huge in USA’s stirring 3-0 Olympic conquest of volleyball power China.

In the first set, the Americans came out of a timeout trailing 20-23. Destinee Hooker, who would finish with 17 kills and 7 errors on 40 attempts (.250), connected for a left-side kill. Unexpectedly, USA head coach Hugh McCutcheon substituted Hodge for starting outside hitter Jordan Larson, who had tallied just 2 kills and 2 errors on 7 swings. It would prove a brilliant move.

With Logan Tom serving bullets, Hodge bounced an attack off the head of her Chinese opponent. It was the first of what would eventually be 18 kills and just 4 errors on 27 attempts (.518).

Foluke Akinradewo and Hodge teamed for a block to tie the score at 23. Hooker had a right side kill to get to set point. After a China kill (on a questionable set), setter Lindsey Berg went back to Hodge for her second kill. USA prevailed 26-24 on a Chinese out-of-bounds attack.

“She (Hodge) is very composed in the big moments,” said McCutcheon after the match. “She always feels comfortable when the match or the set is on the line.”

USA's Megan Hodge tips over Junjing Yan's
block attempt
-Getty Images

Keeping Hodge in the match was a risk for McCutcheon. Despite her power, Hodge has struggled with serve receive. In the second set, she was aced when the score was 0-1, had a bad reception at 2-4, and was blocked on a back row attack at 7-9. By the time USA called timeout trailing 7-11, Hodge had just one kill the entire second set.

But after China served in the net (what coaches like to call “time out/side out”), USA was back in rotation two. That meant that, once again, Logan Tom was serving, with the imposing line of Hodge, Akinradewo and Hooker across the front. USA ran off four straight points, starting with a Hodge kill. After a service error, it was another Hodge kill, and Scott-Arruda replaced Christa Harmotto at middle.

At 13-13 came a double block by Scott-Arruda and Hodge. Then a Hodge kill, then another, then another, then another. After China took timeout trailing 13-19, Scott-Arruda scored the next four American points in a row, on three kills and block. After its time-out at 7-11, USA had gone on to win 15 of the next 18 points, 11 by Hodge and Scott-Arruda. The Americans closed out on an 18-5 run to earn a resounding 25-16 second set win.

On December 19, 2009, we were courtside in Tampa, Florida when Penn State and Texas met in the NCAA Finals. Many agree it was perhaps the most dramatic—and possibly the best-ever—championship match in women’s D1 volleyball history. (Penn State overcame an 0-2 deficit and won the fifth set 15-13). Almost everyone on press row that night had the same thought: if both Penn State’s Hodge (21 kills that night) and Texas’ Hooker (34 kills) ever played together at the Olympics, the USA would be unstoppable.

In the third set, they were. Throughout the set, USA never built more than a 3-point lead (3 times), China never pulled ahead by more than 2. At 17-17, Hooker blasted a back row missile that knocked the Chinese defender off her feet.

USA called its first timeout trailing 18-20. McCutcheon looked at the team and said just one thing: “Side out, USA.”

After a Chinese service error, Tom played manic defense, allowing USA to fight off several out-of-system opportunities until Hodge pounded yet another cross-court kill. Tom’s defense and serving were key throughout the match.

Logan Tom served two aces against China
Getty Images

“Their serve is really good and their strong serves made it difficult for us to defend,” said China’s captain Qiuyue Wei afterwards.

Trailing 21-23, McCutcheon called his last timeout. “We side (out), we get one” was all he said. With Courtney Thompson briefly serving and setting, Hodge got the next two USA kills.

At 24-24, USA’s defense dug time and again, until China’s out-of-bounds attack sent McCutcheon leaping with joy.

But China would not fold; it fought off five match points. USA countered with a Hooker back-row kill at 25-25, a Hodge back-row kill at 26-26, an Akinradewo block at 27-27, and a Hodge cross-court kill at 28-28. Tied at 29, Hooker hit a cross-court attack that was so quick, it hit Chinese setter Wei in face, knocking her to the ground.

Now leading 30-29, the last ball went to Hodge, who pushed a tip off the block for the final point.

“What an amazing game,” said Akinradewo. “We showed China what we’re made of.“

Although USA came into the Olympics ranked #1 in world, it has never won Olympic gold (the indoor men’s team won gold in ’84, ’88 and ’08.) The USA women now own pool play victories over both China and Brazil, but are likely to meet one or both of those teams once again in the medal rounds next week.

All 12 women on the USA roster saw action today. That’s a fact that should guarantee late London nights for opposing coaches the rest of the way.

Olympics | USA 3, South Korea 1

COURTNEY THOMPSON AND TAMA MIYASHIRO HELP LEAD TEAM USA TO VICTORY

Final Score: USA 3, South Korea 1 (25-19, 25-17, 20-25, 25-21)

It was the fourth set, and the USA women’s volleyball team was in trouble.

South Korea star hitter Yeon-Koung Kim was dominating the match. After rocky wins in the first two sets, the USA lost the third. With the Americans clinging to a 14-13 fourth set lead, middle blocker Christa Harmotto rescued a low set and slammed it for a point.

Enter Courtney Thompson.

Team USA celebrates a point during the fourth set against Korea

As she had all evening, the former University of Washington setter launched a “jumpie”: a float serve with minimal rotation. The ball dropped at the feet of the Korean defender, who barely kept it in play. After a short rally, Dae-Young Jung pushed a ball past libero Nicole Davis for another Korean point.

But Thompson—who had entered each set as part of a double-substitution—went to work. A back set to Jordan Larson for a kill. A smart defensive read to avoid a Korean attack heading out of bounds. A pair of double blocks by Harmotto and Tayyiba Haneef-Park. A Larson service ace.

After Korea broke the run, Thompson fed Harmotto with a quick set to the middle for another kill. Courtney’s former Washington teammate Tama Miyashiro entered to serve, forcing the Koreans out of system with a deep float, allowing another Haneef-Park termination block. Larson’s back-row attack from a Thompson set didn’t fall, allowing Korea to push a quick return beyond Larson’s reach. the next play, Thompson slid another quick, this time to Foluke Akinradewo for the kill.

By the time Thompson rotated back to the sidelines, she’d led her team on an 8-3 run and a 23-16 lead.

With Lindsey Berg back at setter, the Koreans won 4 of the next 5 points. But a Larson block ended the set, and the match, giving the USA its first—and tougher-than-expected win of these Olympics.

During the post-match press conference, head coach Hugh McCutcheon mentioned the late set four run:

“It was a very tough game” said McCutcheon, “and Korea made us work a lot. We did some things pretty well but I have also seen room for improvement.

“The players responded well especially after dropping the third set and they turned it around in a very good way to finish it off in the fourth set.”

Korea’s Kim led all hitters with 27 kills and 8 errors on 63 attempts (.300). Dentinee Hooker was Berg’s primary target all night, finishing with 19 kills and 4 errors on 42 attempts (.357) Larson had 14 kills (.393) while Akinradewo added 9 (.411).

Olympics | Tama Miyashiro's unlikely volleyball journey

Tama Miyashiro first walked into the University of Washington gym seven years ago. She was short, she was soft-spoken, she was a long way from her Hawaiian home.

The women on the UW court were bigger, older, and brimming with confidence. By the end of that 2005 season, several would be All-Americans, one would be college volleyball player of the year, and the team would win the national championship.

They barely noticed the young freshman setter, a walk-on.

“That was a pretty big learning experience for me,” Miyashiro remembers. “I’d never been on a team where you have people who are so strong—both physically and their personalities.”

She never played a minute that magical season, and was granted redshirt status, giving her four more years of eligibility. She knew she was unlikely to unseat starting setter Courtney Thompson the next season.

One fateful day in spring 2006, Washington head coach Jim McLaughlin told Miyashiro to stick around after practice.

“I served her a ball,” says McLaughlin, “and I said, now, Tama, hold your arms like this. And I served her another ball.”

“I was doing all kinds of weird things,” Miyashiro says, “‘cause I was attacking like I was still a setter or hitter at home in Hawai’i. The only actually passing or anything I had done in high school was bump setting.”

“Then,” McLaughlin continues, “I said, Tama, now put your wrist and hands together so your platform’s like this. And I served it.”

“I learned how to hold my hands,” Miyashiro remembers. “I learned straight and simple. We kind of started from the ground, and worked our way up.”

After serving dozens of balls—some hard, some soft, some deep and some short—McLaughlin ended the session. “I walked up to the office after 20 minutes. Only 20 minutes. And I said to my coaching staff, you guys, we got our libero.”

— · — · —

Hawaiian kids grow up dreaming about being volleyball Olympians the way Canadian kids dream of being hockey Olympians. Volleyball rules the Islands.

Tama’s mother, Joey, played for the beloved University of Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine. But at Kalani High School, Tama played both basketball and volleyball. Although she was only 5-7, she excelled as an outside hitter and played setter when she rotated to the back row.

Tama Miyashiro and Courtney Thompson with
young fans in Anaheim

Her senior year, she finally quit basketball, and was named MVP at the state volleyball tournament. Although she was selected statewide Player of the Year, Miyashiro had never aggressively entered the college recruiting scene.

“My cousin, who was my club coach, made me send tapes to all the Pac-10 schools. It was already late in the game; already my senior year.

“A lot of schools wrote back. But they kinda gave the sorry, we’re done with all the scholarship positions already. So, if you apply to the school and you get in, then let us know.”

At Washington, McLaughlin was also out of scholarships. But he agreed when Miyashiro wanted to pay a visit to Seattle.

“We learned about her as a person,” McLaughlin says. “She’s a driven kid. She’s laid back, but she’ll compete. She’ll make improvements. She’ll do what you need to do.”

“I liked his [Jim’s] personality,” Miyashiro says. “He’s kind of even keel, and he’s not a yeller. I’ve played for a couple of coaches that are kinda the opposite of Jim, really emotional, pretty loud. So, right off the bat, I was drawn to that part of his coaching style.”

Washington’s out-of-state tuition is steep, but both Miyashiro and her parents were confident she could earn a scholarship after one year. She walked on to that national championship team, and immediately found an ally: Courtney Thompson.

“I felt a connection with how much she loved the game. How much she loved competing. How much she loved Jim. And I could tell right off the bat that I would want to play with someone like this.

“She kind of took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. She didn’t have to do that.”

Instead of competing with Thompson, however, she found herself trying to replace another legend: graduating All-American libero Candace Lee, a revered defender who was McLaughlin’s very first recruit at Washington.

Jim McLaughlin

“Candace always reminded me of the basics,” Miyashiro says. “She was always, practice your wrist and hands! That was a small gesture, but a huge message. If I keep it simple, remember the basics, all I need to do is track the ball and think about what Jim taught us. I think the more simple she kept it, the better she was. And it was a good role model for me.”

“Tama could pass frickin’ nails,” says McLaughlin. “She had a great serve; we developed that. She could dig lights out—had great eyework, got good angles on the ball. And then she could cover better than anyone in the world.”

But McLaughlin required more. Off the court, both Lee and Miyashiro were notoriously quiet. Once they stepped on the court, that had to change. Miyashiro couldn’t believe the first time she heard Lee scream during practice when a free ball headed across the net.

“At first I said, oh, my gosh. That’s coming out of that girl? And then you realize that, by her doing that, she‘s making the team better. Yes, that’s how you should call a free ball.”

McLaughlin took note.

“Tama was the coolest, nicest, gentlest kid off the court. But a fierce competitor on the court. She had perfect balance as a person. I don’t think there’s one person in the world that doesn’t like being around her.”

Miyashiro was a four-year starter, all at libero. She was repeatedly named national Defensive Player of the Year and broke Lee’s school record for career digs. McLaughlin credits her unfailing willingness to improve.

“What Tama just could do better than any kid, is learn. She was a great student of the game.”

— · — · —

At the international level, defensive players are a dying breed. The rules permit limited substitutions, so most outside hitters have to play back row rather than be substituted for defensive specialists. Some teams have begun carrying just a single defender (a libero) on their 12-person roster.

Two defenders—Stacy Sykora and Nicole Davis—had been on the 2008 Silver Medal Olympic team, and both intended to return for London. But Sykora was seriously injured in a car accident, and Miyashiro earned a spot on the traveling squad for all four stages of the 2012 World Grand Prix.

“Tama’s ability to defend is, I think, pretty unique,” says USA head coach Hugh McCutcheon. “She makes great reads and she gets in good spots and just has a way of popping the ball up.”

“One of the things Hugh preached to me early is, you just gotta work hard, work hard, work hard. Every day he was telling me, work hard. For me, I know what working hard means.”

Nonetheless, Davis wore the libero jersey at the start of each World Grand Prix round, leaving Miyashiro to come in most sets as a late serve-and-dig specialist. She never considered it an insult.

“When you go into a match like that, where you’re playing a good team and you’re kind of in a rut and they’re kind of playing well: you need to score some points.”

And score she did. In match after match, Miyashiro’s serve proved effective, and her defense raised eyebrows. When Davis suffered an injury during the final round, Miyashiro was elevated to starting libero. At several crucial junctures—especially against China—her ability to see the ball and dig off the net made all the difference.

“She can have a profound influence on the momentum of a set,” says McCutcheon.

“It was really fun to see it all come together,” she says. “And at the right time, too.”

Many observers assumed McCutcheon had decided on 11 of his 12 Olympians, with the final spot a toss-up between Miyashiro or an additional hitter, like Cynthia Barboza, Kristin Richards or Heather Bown. Miyashiro got the nod.

“As was proven in the Grand Prix Finals,” says McCutcheon, “if our libero happens to get hurt, Tama can step right into that position. On top of that, she’s a great competitor, a great teammate.”

— · — · —

The time difference between Hawai’i and London is eleven hours, almost as far as it can get. It means that Hawaiian volleyball fans will have to get up early—sometimes very early—to see the USA play.

All twelve volleyball Olympians will have hometown folks rooting for them, but it will be different in Hawai’i. They’ll be cheering wildly for two local kids: Miyashiro and Honolulu native Lindsey Berg.

Folks in Hawai’i don’t just play volleyball, they understand volleyball. And they understand what it takes for an undersized kid from the Islands to wear the USA jersey in the sport’s biggest spotlight.

So for a new generation of Hawaiian kids, Miyashiro will be a role model in a way she never dreamed when she was glued to the set watching previous Olympics. She wants those kids to know her journey was not a fluke.

“Honestly, I’ve put in a lot of time and a lot of work. And, in my heart, I think I’m getting the payoff that I deserve. That may sound a little selfish, but it’s actually what I really think.”

Selfish? Hardly. More like Olympian.

see also: 

Local Olympian Courtney Thompson powered by two big inspirations

Olympic volleyball selection: Courtney Thompson and Tama Miyashiro react

Local Olympian Courtney Thompson powered by 2 big inspirations

Volleyblog Seattle is back from vacation (in Grand Tetons National Park).

This morning, our extended profile about University of Washington Olympian Courtney Thompson is featured on the front page of The Seattle Times ...

The article features comments from Hugh McCutcheon, Jim McLaughlin, Dawn Colston, Linda Thompson, Steve Thompson, and--of course--Courtney.

USA Men's Olympic Volleyball roster named

Donald Suxho sets David Lee
-courtesy FIVB

Those of us in the Northwest tend to focus on women's volleyball--the men's side is not a major high school or collegiate sport in our region.

But the men's game is equally exciting, and produced a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Top men also have an outsized influence on the women's game--9 coaches in the Pac-12 are men. Several--including Washington's Jim McLaughlin--have coached men at the highest levels (McLaughlin won a NCAA title with the USC men.) And the coach of the USA women's national team--which includes former UW stars Courtney Thompson and Tama Miyashiro--is Hugh McCutcheon, who led the men to that 2008 gold medal (and will be the head women's coach at Minnesota right after the London Olympics.)

This morning, USA men's head coach Alan Knipe named the members of the 2012 Olympic team:

2012 London Olympics USA National Men’s Roster

SETTERS
Donald Suxho	Korce, Albania	USC
Brian Thornton	San Clemente, CA	UC Irvine
DEFENDERS
Rich Lambourne	Tustin, CA	BYU
OUTSIDE HITTERS
Matt Anderson	West Seneca, NY	Penn State
Sean Rooney	Wheaton, IL	Pepperdine
Paul Lotman	Lakewood, CA	Long Beach State
Reid Priddy	Richmond, VA	Loyola Marymount
OPPOSITE HITTERS
Clay Stanley	Honolulu, HI	Hawai’i
David McKienzie	Littleton, CO	Long Beach State
MIDDLES
David Lee	Alpine, CA	Long Beach State
Russell Holmes	Fountain Valley, CA	BYU
David Smith	Saugus, CA	UC Irvine

• Reid Priddy, Rich Lambourne, David Lee, Sean Rooney, and Clay Stanley were members of the 2008 Olympic team; Donald Suxho was on the 2004 team.
• 2008 setter Lloy Ball and middle blocker Tom Hoff have retired.
• Riley Salmon, Ryan Millar, Gabe Gardner, and Kevin Hansen were on the 2008 team, but were named as reserves for 2012.

see also:
USAV Announces Olympic Men's Volleyball Team (press release)
Two former UW All-Americans named to Olympic Volleyball team