US women’s volleyball likely down 2 starters, including Colorado’s Jordyn Poulter, for quarterfinals

TOKYO — The U.S. women’s volleyball squad volition apt beryllium without 2 starters erstwhile the Americans look the Dominican Republic successful the Olympic quarterfinals.

Setter Jordyn Poulter and other Jordan Thompson were constricted astatine signifier connected Tuesday aft rolling their close ankles during excavation play and aren’t expected to beryllium disposable successful the quarterfinals. The Americans are inactive holding retired anticipation that some could instrumentality aboriginal successful the tourney if the U.S. wins connected Wednesday.

Poulter got wounded erstwhile she landed connected a teammate’s ft during a triumph implicit Italy connected Monday that helped the U.S. clinch the apical spot successful Pool B. Thompson got wounded successful akin manner connected Saturday successful a nonaccomplishment to the Russians, sidelining 1 of the apical scorers successful the tournament.

The Americans person been capable to flooded those injuries truthful acold acknowledgment to the play of backup setter Micah Hancock and other Annie Drews.

Drews led the squad with 22 points successful the five-set triumph implicit Italy successful her archetypal Olympics.

Coach Karch Kiraly said it was a hard prime whether to commencement Drews oregon Thompson to statesman the tournament, truthful helium was not amazed astir however small drop-off determination has been.

“It wasn’t an evident determination by immoderate means, but 1 idiosyncratic we needed to beryllium the starter and the different to beryllium the backup,” Kiraly said. “They’ve some taken turns successful that relation implicit the years. Every clip (Annie’s) travel connected the tribunal successful these caller matches, she’s fixed america an upgrade. We person monolithic spot successful her arsenic a starter oregon arsenic a backup, and she’s crushed some rolls.”

The men played their quarterfinal lucifer connected Tuesday without the United States, which was knocked retired pursuing excavation play for the archetypal clip since the 2000 Sydney Games.

The ROC built connected its beardown show successful winning Pool B successful preliminary play by sweeping Canada 25-21, 30-28, 25-22. The Canadians enactment up a spirited effort successful the 2nd set, erstwhile they staved disconnected 5 acceptable points earlier yet succumbing connected a spike by Maxim Mikhaylov.

“We were diligent capable successful the extremity of the 2nd acceptable erstwhile our crippled struggled a small spot due to the fact that these games are made of moments,” Russian squad manager Tuomas Sammelvuo said. “In hard moments, conscionable permission that infinitesimal and not to deliberation far. We waited for our accidental to adjacent the acceptable successful a 2nd set. That was very, precise important.”

Now the Russians are backmost successful the semifinals for the seventh consecutive Olympics. They won golden successful London successful 2012, but came up bare 5 years agone successful Rio de Janeiro erstwhile they mislaid to eventual champion Brazil successful the semifinals and to the U.S. successful the bronze medal game.

The Russians volition again conscionable Brazil, which swept big Japan successful the 2nd quarterfinal.

Brazil reached the golden medal crippled successful the past 4 Olympics, winning arsenic hosts successful Rio successful 2016 and astatine the 2004 Athens Games. The Brazilians mislaid the last to Russia successful 2012 and the United States successful 2008.

“We won sometimes. We mislaid a batch of times,” Brazilian skipper Bruno said astir the rivalry with the Russians. “We are 2 truly accepted schools successful volleyball. It volition beryllium for definite a large battle. It’s our archetypal extremity to beryllium successful the semifinal to support our imagination alive.”

Canada has failed to medal successful 5 Olympic trips successful men’s volleyball.

Argentina earned a spot successful the different semifinal aft outlasting Italy successful a five-set match, winning 15-12 successful the last set. The Argentines made it to the semifinals for the 3rd clip successful their history, winning bronze successful 1988 and finishing 4th successful 2000.

They volition instrumentality connected France, which upset Pool A victor Poland successful 5 sets to beforehand to the semifinals for the archetypal clip successful 5 Olympic appearances.

Poland has present mislaid successful the quarterfinals successful 5 consecutive Olympics.