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Olympics: U.S. falls to Brazil

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The United States’ hopes for a women’s volleyball gold-medal sweep at the Olympic Games in London were thwarted Saturday, when Brazil upset Team USA, 11-25, 25-17, 25-20, 25-17, in the indoor volleyball final at Earls Court.

The Americans, ranked No. 1 in the world, entered the final 7-0 in the Olympics and 30-1 this year then dominated the opening set. But No. 2-ranked Brazil, which lost in four sets to the U.S. squad in group play last week, rallied to earn its second straight gold medal.

Brazil also defeated the U.S. women in the 2008 Olympic gold-medal match in Beijing.

Team USA, including assistant coaches Paula Weishoff (the UC Irvine women’s head coach) and Jamie Morrison (a UCI women’s assistant) was attempting to earn its first gold medal indoors.

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The Americans, however, add another silver to those they collected in 2008 and 1984. The U.S. squad won a bronze medal in 1992 in Barcelona when Weishoff, then a player, was named MVP of the Olympic tournament. Weishoff, a three-time Olympian, also earned MVP honors in 1984 in Los Angeles.

The U.S. collected gold and silver medals in women’s beach volleyball, with Newport Harbor High product Misty May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh Jennings topping Newport Harbor graduate April Ross and her partner, Jennifer Kessy, 21-16, 21-16, in the gold-medal match on Wednesday.

May-Treanor, joined fellow Newport Harbor grad Esther Lofgren (women’s eight rowing) and Corona del Mar High product Tumua Anae (women’s water polo) as local athletes who won gold in London.

— From staff reports

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