handicappers - is there such a thing? - would have to make Brazil, USA and Russia the favorites to contend for the gold in London. As storied as USA Volleyball’s Olympic history has been, the U.S Women’s indoor team is still seeking its first Olympic gold. The men have three: Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988) and Beijing (2008), but the women have had to settle for close-but-not- quite. They took the silver in Los Angeles in 1984, the bronze in Barcelona in 1992 and the silver again at Beijing in 2008.
This team appears as well equipped as any past U.S. team to mount a serious challenge for the ultimate title.
“I think we have a chance,” McCutch- eon says. “There are other teams that have a chance as well, and we still have plenty of work to do, but we have an opportunity, and I think everyone on the team understands that.” The 14 players who were on the final
World Grand Prix roster (see page 28) were all key to the gold-medal effort, which gave the U.S. back-to-back World Grand Prix titles for the first time ever. In fact, U.S. Women’s assistant coach Karch Kiraly, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, says that each and every player made a contribution in that tour- nament “without which we would not have won. It was a total team contribution.” The nucleus of the team is the starting
lineup: setter Lindsey Berg (Honolulu, Ha- waii), outside hitters Logan Tom (Salt Lake City, Utah) and Jordan Larson (Hooper, Neb.), middle blockers Heather Bown (Yorba Linda, Calif.) and Foluke Akinradewo (Plantation, Fla.), opposite Destinee Hooker (San Antonio, Texas) and libero Nicole Davis (Stockton, Calif.). That may well be the starting lineup you’ll see next summer in London since it has proven capable of winning against a lot of dif- ferent teams in many important matches, but two other players, whether they start or not, will likely play key roles and were big factors at the World Grand Prix: former Penn State outside hitter Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.)
ALL-AROUND EXCELLENCE: Clockwise from above, Lindsey Berg, Alisha Glass, Foluke Akinradewo and Destinee Hooker help anchor a U.S. Women’s National Team roster that head coach Hugh McCutcheon feels will compete for a medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. (Photos: FIVB, Bill Kauffman / USA Volleyball).
PHOTO: BILL KAUFFMAN / USA VOLLEYBALL
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