A Volleyball Nations League that started with so much promise ended in frustration for the USA women as they lost in five to Poland on Sunday in the bronze-medal match.
“We’re proud that our team emptied the tank and we tried every possible answer and came close,” USA coach Karch Kiraly said, “but this is a bitter disappointment. We need to use this to get better for our the next tournament, for the Olympic qualifier, and for next year.”
The Americans continually rallied throughout the 25-15, 16-25, 25-19, 18-25, 17-15 defeat.
And Kiraly tried everything, including a complete change of the lineup after the first set.
“It felt like there were a lot of big momentum swings and it was anybody’s game at any point,” veteran opposite Annie Drews said. “At the end it could have one either way.”
That’s for sure, because in the fifth set, top-seeded Poland, which finished the tournament 12-3 and was coming off a semifinals loss to China, built a 6-2 lead and was still up 10-8 when things got interesting. Second-seeded USA (11-4), coming off a loss to Türkiye, tied it for the first time at 11-11 on a hitting error by Magdalena Stysiak, who had team highs of 20 kills and also nine errors.
The match was tied four more times as both teams had a mixture of big plays and unforced errors. The USA took its first lead at 14-13 on a tremendous kill by Drews that forced Poland into a timeout. But Poland tied it on a huge kill by Stysiak.
The USA got another lead at 15-14 when Martyna Lukasik served into the net, but Stysiak tied it again and then gave her team match point with back-to-back kills.
Poland won it when Agniesszka Korneluk blocked Jordan Thompson and the celebration was on. It was Poland’s first VNL medal
Unlike other teams here, the Americans will disperse individually to their homes and get a couple of weeks off before reuniting in Anaheim next month. Next up is the “FIVB Road to Paris Olympic” qualifying tournament in Poland in September.
Avery Skinner, who entered in the second set, led the USA with 15 kills, three blocks and five digs. Drews had nine kills, a block and three digs. Middles Chiaka Ogbogu and Asjia O’Neal each had four kills, four blocks and an an ace. Robinson Cook had six kills and seven digs and Thompson five kills and six digs.
Micha Hancock and then Lauren Carlini made her VNL…
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