RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – Max Holt did a little bit of everything. At the net, digging balls from just off the floor, finishing points with big, leaping swings.
He and David Lee stuffed the Italians with stellar blocking. Setter Micah Christenson contributed his own blocks and even a kill to end the third set. Matt Anderson, Aaron Russell and Taylor Sander provided power hitting from every corner.
Mighty Italy just had a little more in a match that will surely become an Olympic volleyball classic.
For nearly 2 1/2 hours Friday, the young, overachieving Americans stayed with an Italian group that U.S. coach John Speraw considers the world’s most talented and destined for gold in Brazil.
The Americans, who began the tournament with an 0-2 start that included a loss to Italy 10 days earlier, ran off four straight victories before falling in a riveting five-set semifinal that Italy won 30-28, 26-28, 9-25, 25-22, 15-9.