PARIS — No five-setter this time.
No, the USA men late on Friday night won the first two sets against a remarkably scrappy Japan team, lost the third, but closed it out in four to finish 3-0 in Pool C.
It positions the Americans as well as they could have hoped for — a top three seed — heading into the Paris Olympics men’s volleyball quarterfinals that begin Monday.
The USA’s 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, 25-19 victory was not a total loss for Japan, either. Winning a set was enough to get Japan into the quarterfinals for the first time since 1992.
“We once again got off to a really nice start. They needed to get one set and they came out in the third set and played like they wanted to get into the next round,” USA coach John Speraw said.
“We responded in the fourth set quite well, especially after early on in the fourth set when it was pretty even. I think there’s a lot we can take from that.”
That wasn’t lost on USA outside TJ DeFalco, who had 13 kills and a block.
“The happiest thing for me is they were making changes and adjustments, which is what you’re supposed to do in a high-level volleyball match and then we adjusted right back,” DeFalco said. “As opposed to Germany, when we did not adjust for a very long time. And that’s what I’m most proud of the team for. At this level, every team is going to have an adjustment. They’re going to figure out what they have to do better to come back to win and get that energy and momentum. We did it right back to them as fast as we possibly could.”
The Americans opened Olympics play with a sweep of Argentina, but then won the first two sets against Germany before hanging on to win in five.
Seemingly ageless opposite Matt Anderson (he’s 37) led with 15 kills and one of his team’s three aces to go with five of the USA’s 21 serving errors.
“I’m happy with the way I played and I’m happy with the way the team played,” said Anderson, the fourth-time Olympian. “I’m happy that we got in that tough position in that third set and we were trying to claw out of it and got knocked back down. In that fourth set we didn’t let it bother us. We’re gonna need that. We’re gonna play tough teams that are going to beat us in sets … Being able to come back in that fourth set, getting back in system and the way we played volleyball, I’m proud and happy.”
DeFalco had 13 kills and a block and the other outside, Aaron Russell, had 10 kills and…
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