TIP DRILL: David Lee is one of many strong options the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team can call on. (Photos: Don Liebig)
ground, so quick laterally to get to the point of attack to block, and he’s very disciplined in our system.”
Millar is obviously one of the other great middles Knipe is referring to, and you could tell from his body language during the NORCECA tournament that he was fully engaged in the match even when he wasn’t on the court.
“I’m this guy slipping into a spot of his,
and he’s been nothing but supportive and en- couraging,” Holmes says. “He does a great job during matches exchanging information and helping me read the game.” The libero position remains in the ex- perienced hands of Rich Lambourne, who started on the Beijing team. Originally from
Tustin, Calif., Lambourne was a starting outside hitter in 1999 on BYU’s first NCAA championship team.
Medal contenders?
More than a couple of teams are capable of winning it all in London. At least five or six, Beal says. Likely contenders include Brazil, which entered the summer as the world’s No. 1 ranked team and won the 2010 FIVB World Championship, second- ranked Russia, the winner of the 2011 FIVB World Cup, Italy (No. 3), Poland (No. 4), Serbia (No. 7) and Bulgaria (No. 9). It’s hard to handicap the U.S. at this point. By all accounts, the talent is there. But so far, the results haven’t been.
“The biggest downside is they haven’t had great performances to fall back on this quad, so the knowledge that they’ve played at a high level and beaten the teams they need to beat isn’t there,” Beal says. “Can they win enough to get to the medal round? Yeah, I think they can. They’ve got some exceptional talent on this team that has won in the past.”
Past is past, though, and the players are well aware they need to create their own identity.
“Coming off the win in Beijing, I think we have this expectation that we should be there immediately,” Lee says. “It’s not that way. It’s a rebuilding process, and we have to reestablish ourselves as a world power.”
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