Team USA defeats Italy, earns 2012 Olympic berth

Team USA, the US Women's National Volleyball Team, earned an Olympic berth today with a 3-1 World Cup victory over previously undefeated Italy. The set scores were 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 25-21.

Former University of Washington libero Tama Miyashiro is on the Team USA World Cup roster. She did not play in the Italy match, but has seen playing time during the 11-match round-robin tournament.

Team USA celebrates it's earning of a 2012 Olympic berth at the World Cup in Toyko's Yoyogi National Stadium
Former University of Washington libero Tama Miyashiro is at the far left, in blue and white.

Team USA and Italy both have 9-1 records in World Cup play. USA can win the gold medal with a 3- or 4-set victory over host Japan on Friday. The top three finishers at the tournament earn the first three bids to the 2012 Olympic Summer Games in London.

Several former Washington Huskies have been competing for a spot on the 2012 Olympic team, including Miyashiro, setter Courtney Thompson, setter Jenna Haglund, and outside hitters Becky Perry, Jill Collymore and Kindra Carlson. Those on the expanded roster spend part of each year training in Anaheim; many also sign professional contracts to play in Europe or Asia. At this point, Miyashiro would seem to have the best chance of the former UW players to earn a spot on the Olympic roster, with Thompson also a possibility. Thompson saw substantial playing time recently leading the USA to a Pan Am Games bronze medal.

SEE: USA Volleyball report about today's victory over Italy.

Huskies high in national stat rankings

The University of Washington doesn’t have a single starting server this season employing a booming jump serve (think Jill Collymore in 2009 or Kindra Carlson in 2010). Every time one of the Huskies steps to the service line, opponents can expect a jump float, usually a flat knuckleball to the deep corners. Washington’s three outside hitters—Summer Ross, Kylin Muñoz and Krista Vansant—lead the team in aces.

It must be working. Washington has the highest aces per set average of any Division 1 team in the nation. UW has dialed up 65 aces in 31 sets, a 2.1 ace/set average. No other Pac-12 team ranks in the top fifty nationally.

The Huskies can also hit and block. The team is hitting .308, good for fourth nationally (trailing only Michigan State, Hawai’i and Cal.) Washington also averages 2.95 blocks per set, the ninth-best number in the country.

The NCAA doesn’t report rankings for opponents’ hitting percentage, but the Pac-12 website lists Washington second only to Cal. The Huskies hold opponents to a meager .123.

Washington's Kelly Holford serves during a scrimmage
[Volleyblog Seattle video screen shot by Leslie Hamann]