USA vs. Japan, Germany vs. Poland as Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals begin

ARLINGTON, Texas — Not that things haven’t mattered up to this point, but one year and two weeks from now the USA women will play in the Paris Olympics.

So game on here in the heart of Texas as the Volleyball Nations League quarterfinals get underway Wednesday at the University of Texas Arlington’s College Park Center.

The top two teams from the three preliminary rounds are in action when top-seeded Poland (10-2) plays Germany (7-5) at 4 p,m. Central and then the USA (10-2) plays Japan (7-5) at 6:30.

Thursday, Brazil (8-4) faces China (8-4) and Türkiye (9-3) plays Italy (8-4). The semifinals are Saturday and the medal matches Sunday.

“It’s a big deal in itself,” USA coach Karch Kiraly said. “We’re proud that we were able to win the first three (rounds). We had a disappointment last year, losing in the first round of the single-elimination quarterfinal (in five to Serbia). We’d like to have a better showing this year. Certainly Japan stands in our way. That’s a great, great team across the net.

“But not only is it the biggest annual event of its own right, it leads into Olympic qualification and into the Olympics themselves just about a year from now. So the results and the performances here have a short-, medium- and long-term effect.”

The Americans were 6-0 when they played Japan on June 17 in Brasilia, Brazil, and lost 23-25, 25-23, 25-19, 23-25, 15-6. Japan is smaller and to say it’s scrappy might be an understatement. 

“We might need five, seven, 10 swings to get the ball to the floor,” Kiraly said. “So we have to be prepared for very long rallies. They play incredible defense.”

In that loss, Danielle Cuttino led the USA with 17 kills, but she is not here as part of the 14-player VNL roster. Khalia Lanier, who had 15 kills, and Avery Skinner, who had 12, are. Here’s the team:

Setters: Micha Hancock, Lauren Carlini

Outside hitters: Kelsey Robinson Cook, Alli Frantti, Lanier, Skinner

Middle blockers: Chiaka Ogbogu, Asjia O’Neal, Dana Rettke, Haleigh Washington

Opposites: Annie Drews, Jordan Thompson

Liberos: Morgan Hentz, Justine Wong-Orantes

Clearly this is the A Team. Even the injured Olympic star and veteran Jordan Larsen is with the team to lend support, and so, too, is Ashley Evans, here as insurance for Tuesday’s practice as Kiraly had until Tuesday night to submit his final roster. Carlini has a pulled right quadiceps, but answered the bell and then some in practice.

Of the…