But first we go back to the Omni where it's the US women's volleyball team against Ukraine to call it Paul Sunderland and Chris Marlowe United States one game one easily Leading here in game two now eight to one the Americans Paul Sunderland dominating. Well, they're playing good defense They've gotten out of a bit of a rhythm offensively by getting a little bit into the shank tank Pass the ball all over the Omni Coliseum good serving by the Ukraine, but the United States just has too much for the Ukrainians right now It's a good matchup for the Americans to get into this tournament Ukraine. However, has a chance to come back They've shown they've got some ability on the outside But they can't side out for a long enough period of time to stop the momentum of the United States Paul De Ocova gets the kill and now serving is number four Elena Sitorenko and she serves it right into the bottom of the net nine of the twelve players from the Ukraine come from Got a Yaghi Azharov's club team, so He knows his players very very well Once again Ukraine the last team to qualify for the women's competition and they did it very unusually They finished third and the final qualifier in Japan behind Japan in the Netherlands the Croatia beat him, but they ended up going on games and sets and Ukraine snuck in The United States in white and a cot and Lyley punches it through say we saw it earlier today with the Netherlands getting crushed by China very difficult because the qualification tournament was just at the end of May to peak for the Competition just to get into the Olympics and then rest and train again and then come right back out for the Olympic competition And I think that showed with the Netherlands this morning losing 3-0 to China and it's showing with the Ukraine right now It seemed that has at times been competitive with the United States They have Odin and Tammy Lyley combining on the block 9 won the United States and the ball put away Maria Polio Koba Back in 1995 the United States beating the Ukraine in the Canada Cup 3-0 also beat him back in 93 to qualify for the 1994 World Championships T Williams And a nice play run on the back set Natalia Bojanova with the kill 27 years old the middle blocker Bojanova running the slide set behind the setter something you're going to see throughout the course of this tournament called the nine set Very quick behind the setter, but it requires a good pass T Williams blocked Jouse coming and the put away Bojanova Once again the wife of the coach. She has four kills. Can you ever take your wife out of the match? Well, not if you want dinner that night Okay, she's originally from Uzbekistan. And of course her husband Garley. Jerry Guzarov is from Baku, Azerbaijan They did some traveling around in order to get together been married since she was 19 years of age Of course, the two former Soviet Republics the Ukraine the second largest former Soviet Republic behind Russia Of course, the United States has been blocking. Well Americans leading 9-1 and looking for point number 10 out of the back line Tammy Liley Spanx it Tammy Liley in her third Olympic Games Of course was a rookie in 88 played on the bronze medal team in 92 and now back for a chance at the goal Six kills for Liley the Americans up big Tomorrow night women's team gymnastics Can the American teams led by Shannon Miller and Dominique Mochiano come through in front of their home crowd in the pool? World champion and world record holder Tom Dolan goes for gold in the 400 individual medley plus much more That's tomorrow night early at 7 Eastern for Pacific on NBC The Americans overpowering Ukraine at the moment Ukraine considered one of the easier teams in Group A And more action against the Netherlands and then the big one against China China's clearly along with in the United States and South Korea the toughest teams in Group A China Of course the third match of the Group A schedule the Netherlands coming up and don't count out the Dutch They're a very good team. And even though they got spanked by China earlier today, they will fire up to the United States Ball hit out 11 to 3 Seating capacity here in the Omni about 17,000 we estimate about 14,000 tonight And they are watching a very impressive United States performance that net was called There's a bad call. The net violation was on Bozhenova the middle blocker for the Ukraine on the overpass She went up to block scrape the net, but the Ukraine and up ends up with possession of the ball. That's a missed call Elena Oden Stuffed Bozhenova was there That play just way too slow in developing everyone in the building those 14 15,000 You were just talking about look at the three blockers coming in for the Ukraine Bozhenova They're just waiting for Elena Oden the ensuing serve And the United States is going to make a substitution Two-time Olympian Karen Kempner who is 31 years old. She'll replace T Williams. So Williams goes out and Kempner comes in Kempner returning to the Olympics one more time in search of the gold medal had a fabulous 92 Olympics with the exception of the crossover match against Cuba Still thinking about that one. Dig by Oden. It's 11 to 4 United States. Kempner up the bench and she rips it Pretty good first swing by the veteran Karen Kempner also her third Olympic Games She's played in Italy. She has played in Brazil and now back with the national team separated her shoulder a couple of weeks ago While training down in San Diego, but looking very strong right there hitting the ball out of the pipe United States one game one the Americans leading big here in game two 12 to 4 Third member of a broadcast team is set and ready Bill Walton. Let's go down to Big Bill. All right Thanks very much now volleyball as you know is a sport is so dependent on your teammates You'll only get one touch of the ball because of that this US women's team has done a lot of high-intensity team-building training programs just last November They went over to Hawaii and participated in the high ropes program where they voluntarily put themselves in the high stress Situations so that they can develop better team spirit better team unity It's the same thing against last month in their home city of San Diego, which also happens to be my home city but this veteran USA team Administering a whipping right now. That's a lot more than just about team play This is a very obvious quickness mismatch with the United States in a very serious position there With great strength advantage All right. Thanks very much Bill We all know the volleyball has come a long way When we did our team building we went to Moab, Utah for 19 days of Outward Bound and now they're going to Hawaii and San Diego That's all head about out of bounds. Of course, you're talking about the 1984 Olympic team and high-altitude training back in 1984 Bev Oden comes out she has played Magnificently so far and here comes Paula Weisshoff The lone remaining Olympian from the great silver medal squad back in 84. You remember that unit Flo Hyman Rita Crockett, Rose Majors Debbie Green, etc and Oden touched the net trying to swing it a plump. So Tara Liskevich making some substitutions We were talking earlier, excuse me Chris about getting Karen Kemner and Paula Weisshoff into this match to give them a feel They're going to be a very important component of this match and as Bill pointed out a quickness and Athleticism advantage by the United States over Ukraine But you want to give your key players a good look and right now the Ukrainian block getting a very solid look at Laurie Endicott As she gets her dump stuff Set was too tight Ukraine on the attack, Sidorenko blocks, but the ball hit the antenna and went out of bounds The United States offense really predicated on getting that good pass to the setter Laurie Endicott Well as is everyone's but I think even more so for the United States They've got good solid outside attackers in cross battle and T Williams and now Karen Kemner But for the United States to do really well throughout the course of a long tournament You've got to have the Odin sisters and the other middle blockers getting a lot of sets Just like Pavlova just delivered into the middle here for the Ukraine You want to see the sets very evenly distributed between the positions Otherwise the blockers will just start loading up and shut you down. No matter how good your hitters are You saw Yoko Zetterlin come in at the setting spot She's wearing number two cross battle in the United States a little bit disorganized at the moment However, the Americans do lead 12-5. Now T Williams will check back in for Kemner T is 5'11 from Long Beach 28 years old Played in the University of Hawaii for Dave Shoji won a national championship there 12-5 Left side nice dig cross battle on the run Zetterlin And the put away nicely done by Maria Poliakova She has five kills and the Ukrainian fans whoop it up a bit. They're starting to get going. It's a solid volleyball team It's just so difficult to get a team to peak twice in a six-month period let alone two or three months We talked about the qualification and then these Olympic Games and I think that's part of the problem for the Ukrainians But the United States clearly a better team United States with Elena Oden Yoko Zetterlin Tara cross battle T Williams Paula Weisshoff and Tammy Lilley the six on the floor for the United States Nice dig cross battle has been excellent on defense Lilley gets rejected And the Americans lost their focus a bit. I'm not so sure. I think what they've probably done is let down just a little bit Sometimes you try to do things too quickly and too fast Tammy Lilley ripping a set that she really had no business taking a strong swing at just take the time and have the patience to Keep that ball in play just like Tara cross did and now the United States gets the advantage or should anyway Nice play by the Ukraine a little different rhythm when Yoko Zetterlin is in their setting. She sets left T and T Williams, it's an off the hands out of bounds T Williams hurt her back just before the BC vegan tournament in June and didn't play in that competition at all a tournament in Which the United States finished third behind Cuba who took home the gold and Brazil But she is now much healthier. And of course, we've talked about her importance United States won the first game 15-8 the Americans lead here in game two by seven This Ukraine easily now, let's go to game three, which the u.s. Leads 13-11 Paul Sunderland and Chris Marlowe We'll call it take it guys The United States up by two the Americans led just moments ago by five twelve seven as Karen Kempner Restores a little order. This is where the home crowd could help the Americans. Well, I remember back in 1984 We were playing Korea and we thumped in the first two games and started struggling a little bit in game three in the crowd Really got with us got on the Koreans and it really pulled us through and helped us finish out that match 3-0 the crowd a huge factor for all the American teams here Particularly the volleyball teams who are not used to playing in front of huge friendly crowds Used to playing in front of huge hostile crowds in Beijing or Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro But not friendly ones and supportive ones in the United States United States shanks one up. Here comes cross-battle. She gets it back the United States by 213 to 11 As Elena Ode chops it down her seventh kill Somebody asked me the other day Paul about the crowd and you remember back to 84 and I said look If you're playing poorly, they pull you through the tough spots. If you're playing well, they can push it to greatness And if you're playing at your best, they can help make you Olympic champions. That's how important the home crowd is Cedarenko trying to jack it over on two was Polly O'Cobra. Will it cost her a point? Fantastic dig number one. Kolomiyets got it up Not that time Got to have everybody involved pass the ball well get the Odes or the Danielle Scots involved in the middle good balance The crowd is up match point for the United States That's it The crowd pushing the United States and head coach Terry Leskiewicz To his first victory in Group A over Ukraine 15 8 15 5 15 11 The United States the favorite in Group A along with China the Americans look very good dispatching Ukraine very quickly Three games to none the leader for the Americans tar cross battle at the net with 16 kills and Elena Oden Relatively easy opener then for the U.S. women's volleyball team