USA down Russia to make final

 

BEIJING, China, August 22, 2008 - One day after the American women secured their first final berth in 24 years at Olympic volleyball, the American men spikers also clinched the final ticket for the first time in 20 years after holding off Russia in a five-set semi-final.

 

With the hard-fought 25-22, 25-21, 25-27, 22-25, 15-13 victory, its seventh straight at this tournament, the world No. 3 took a sweet revenge on its 3-0 loss to the European runner-up in the bronze medal match of the Athens Games four years ago.

 

It will be the second time in history that both teams of the United States make the men's and women's volleyball finals of an Olympic Games at the same time. The Americans, who captured successive triumphs at the Los Angeles Games in 1984 and the Seoul Games in 1988, will fight for their third Olympic gold medal against the winner between Brazil and Italy in Sunday's final.

 

The Russians rallied from two sets down to force the tiebreaker where they overcame an early 6-3 deficit to overtake the lead at 12-11, but David Lee scored the last four points of the United States and stopped ice Russian leading scorer Maxim Mikhaylov to wind up the marathon match.

 

Lee finished with 12 points for the 2008 FIVB World League champion and Clayton Stanley served seven aces to lead the American scoring with 19 points, while Mikhaylov's game-high 31 points turned out to be in vain as the Athens Games bronze medallists have to play the bronze medal match again.