Erickson’s epic 28-Point performance powers USA to third consecutive Paralympic gold Erickson’s epic 28-Point performance powers USA to third consecutive Paralympic gold

Heather Erickson commanded the court with an epic 28-point performance, leading USA to a 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory over China in the women’s sitting volleyball final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Saturday at North Paris Arena.

Erickson’s dominance, featuring 25 attacks, two blocks, and an ace, secured USA’s third consecutive Paralympic gold, equalling China’s record of three gold medals in the sport.

China, having claimed gold at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012, battled valiantly with Xu Yixiao’s 22 points spearheading their efforts. Tang Xuemei, Zhang Lijun, and Zhang Zufei added double-digit scores, but they could not find an answer to Erickson’s powerful play or break through USA’s impenetrable net defence.

Despite China outscoring USA in attacks (56-54) and aces (9-3), USA’s 17 blocks to China’s six, along with fewer turnovers, gave them a critical edge.

Erickson’s impact was felt from the very beginning, as she opened USA’s scoring with a block and an attack, immediately setting the tone for the match. China responded with attacks from Tang and Xu to level the score at 2-2, but USA soon edged ahead through Erickson’s leadership and a few costly Chinese errors. Contributions from Kathryn Bridge and Monique Matthews helped USA close out the first set 25-21.

The first set opened with a competitive exchange of points. Erickson’s impact was felt from the very beginning, scoring the first two points for USA with a block and an attack. Tang and Xu quickly answered with back-to-back spikes to even the score at 2-2. From there, it was a close contest, with the teams trading points until 4-4. However, Erickson pushed USA ahead with a sharp spike to make it 5-4, and from there, USA began to build momentum.

Chinese errors, combined with precision attacks from Bridge, allowed USA to extend their lead to 7-5. China remained within striking distance but struggled to keep up as Matthews and Lora Webster added to the offensive effort. Erickson sealed the set with a powerful attack, giving USA a 25-21 win.

In the second set, China came out firing, determined to level the match. They capitalised on a USA error to take the opening point and rode the momentum with Xu Yixiao leading the charge. Xu’s attacking combined with strong serving from Zhang Lijun allowed China to jump out to a commanding 6-0 lead. However, USA regrouped quickly. Erickson started USA’s recovery with a hard spike, and consecutive…