Years of training and a full month of competition led up to a historic gold medal for Team USA on Sunday, as they took on the Chinese women in a four-set match filled with some of the best rallies of the competition.
The thrilling match pitted top female volleyball athletes in the world against each other, in a close battle with nearly equal skills. FIVB Women’s World Championship MVP Kimberly Hill lead her team with 20 points during the match, but China’s Opposite spiker Chunlei Zengalso put up 20 points of her own.
“She was unstoppable,” Jordan Larson-Burbach said, in a discussion with USA Volleyball about teammate Hill. “She was hitting high over the block, high in the seam, passing well and just playing her game. She’s a baller. I’m really proud of her. It’s been awesome to get to know her. Just a very fun person to be around.”
USA's coach Karch Kiraly also expressed his fulfillment with the team and Hill.
"She actually had to get talked into the tryout," he said to USA Volleyball. "She was kind of afraid and nervous about attending... and here she is MVP of World Championships less than two years later, helping lead us to our first-ever title, helping us make history.”
The second best scorers on each team also tied with 15 points each – USA’s 2012 Olympic Games silver medalist Christa Harmotto Dietzen and Ting Zhu, China’s Best Outside Hitter and MVP in 2013 FIVB Women’s Junior World Championship.
“(China) are a good team,” said USA setter Alisha Glass. “They’re a dangerous team. We were fortunate to come out with a very fast start. They battled back as they should and made it really interesting and nerve-wracking I’m sure. We just had to fight for every point. I think we eventually came out and earned it.”
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