Robinson Leads U.S. Women Past Kazakhstan

The U.S. Women’s National Team began their journey in the FIVB Volleyball Tokyo Qualification Tournament Pool C with an impressive victory over Kazakhstan. The match took place at CenturyLink Center in Shreveport-Bossier City, Louisiana, where Team USA secured a 25-17, 25-10, 25-10 win.

Ranked third globally, the U.S. team will face Bulgaria, ranked 16th, on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT, followed by a match against Argentina on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the live broadcast of Saturday’s game on the Olympic Channel or stream it on the NBC Sports website.

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In the opening match of Pool C, Bulgaria emerged victorious over Argentina with a score of 24-26, 25-9, 25-18, 25-20. On Saturday, Kazakhstan, ranked 23rd in the world, will take on Argentina. The team that finishes on top in the four-team round-robin tournament will secure a spot in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Kelsey Robinson, the outside hitter from Manhattan Beach, California, played a crucial role in the victory, scoring a match-leading 13 points with 11 kills and two blocks. Notably, she achieved nine kills in her first nine attacks. Tori Dixon, the middle blocker from Burnsville, Minnesota, contributed with six kills, two blocks, and two aces, earning a total of 10 points. Annie Drews, the opposite player from Elkhart, Indiana, made an impact in the first two sets, accumulating nine points with six kills, two blocks, and an ace.

Michelle Bartsch-Hackley, the outside hitter from Champaign, Illinois, added eight points to the team’s tally with seven kills and a block. Jordan Thompson, who replaced Drews in the third set, made five kills and a block, accumulating six points in just one set. Haleigh Washington, the middle blocker from Colorado Springs, Colorado, contributed three points with two kills and a block. Lauren Carlini, the setter from Aurora, Illinois, scored two points with one kill and one ace. Dana Rettke, another middle blocker from Riverside, Illinois, delivered two kills. Jordyn Poulter, the setter from Aurora, Colorado, rounded off the scoring with an ace during her time on the court in the third set.

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Throughout the match, Team USA demonstrated their impressive attacking prowess, achieving a 56% kill rate with a .493 hitting efficiency. Lauren Carlini played an essential role as the primary setter for the team. Conversely, Kazakhstan struggled with a 29% kill rate.

Defensively, U.S. libero Megan Courtney from Dayton, Ohio, showcased her skills by making 14 receptions with a 57% positive rate and leading the team with 10 digs. Kelsey Robinson added to her offensive performance with eight receptions and a positive rate of 88%, alongside five digs. Michelle Bartsch-Hackley achieved an impressive 62% positive reception rate on eight opportunities.

The American team dominated the match at the net, outblocking Kazakhstan with a score of 9-3. Team USA also had a significant advantage in kills, recording 40 compared to Kazakhstan’s 24. Kazakhstan committed 21 errors, while Team USA limited their mistakes to just six.

The starting lineup for Team USA consisted of Lauren Carlini as the setter, Annie Drews as the opposite player, Tori Dixon and Haleigh Washington as middle blockers, Kelsey Robinson and Michelle Bartsch-Hackley as outside hitters, and Megan Courtney as libero. In the third set, Jordan Thompson and Dana Rettke entered the game as middle blocker and opposite player, respectively. Jordyn Poulter made a substitute appearance during the third set.

The first set began with Team USA taking an early 10-6 lead, which they extended to 16-9 at the second technical timeout. The Americans comfortably closed out the set at 25-17, with Kelsey Robinson leading the scoring with six points.

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In the second set, Team USA established a commanding 12-5 lead and maintained their dominance throughout, reaching the second technical timeout with a score of 16-8. The team continued their strong performance, winning nine of the final 11 points.

Team USA started the third set with a 3-0 advantage and faced little resistance on their way to a 16-5 lead at the second technical timeout. The match concluded with a 9-5 run, resulting in a convincing 25-10 victory for Team USA.

The Tokyo Women’s Volleyball Qualification Tournament features six pools of four teams competing in a round-robin format from August 2nd to August 4th. The top 24 ranked teams, excluding host Japan, are divided into the pools using the serpentine system. The pool winners, along with Japan, will secure spots in the 2020 Olympics. The final five spots will be determined in early January through the five confederation zonal championships.

Team USA has a remarkable track record in women’s indoor volleyball, having medaled in the last three Olympic Games. They are striving to make their 12th appearance in the Olympics, with silver medals in 1984, 2008, and 2012, as well as bronze medals in 1992 and 2016.

Kazakhstan, currently ranked 23rd in the world, finished in 24th place in the 2018 FIVB World Championship.

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