Today the tournament drew to a close. Four final matches awarded gold, silver, and bronze on the men's side. Sorry, but I'm feeling the need to half-ass the lede this time around. Deal with it 🙂
J Smedins/ Samoilovs vs. Pedro/Bruno
Auspicious beginning for the Brazilians, as Bruno uncorked an ace to begin the match, and on the next rally, Pedro annihilated Samoilovs at the net. The Latvians got the point back on the first rally after the side change, with a kill for Samoilovs on a pretty broken play as it looked like he was just trying to free-ball it. The Brazilians briefly took another 2-point lead, but after a hitting error by Pedro it was 7-all at the second side change. From there, the teams traded runs, with the Latvians going ahead by 2 briefly but the Brazilians coming up with 4 in a row to make it 12-9 in their favour at the halfway timeout. Then the Brazil team kind of blew it open, prompting the Latvians to call time at 14-9. They were hitting hard and hitting smart, and the Latvians just had no answer at the net, no matter who did the blocking. Smedins finally got the sideout at 14-10. They came as close as 3 again before the Brazil team extended to 6 at 19-13. They served for the set at 20-14 and converted, as the Latvian seemed to stop playing in anticipation of a whistle.
The Latvians scored on serve first in set 2, with Pedro's attempt at a bump set on a transition play ending up much too close to the net for Bruno to be able to play it. On 2-2, the Brazilians got their point back when Samoilovs was whistled for one of the funniest faults I can recall seeing. He made a block touch, then jabbed the ball into the air (which is legal), but then kicked it. Whiiiiiiich….isn't. It was that or just let it fall (Smedins was way out of the play) so hey, why not provide a little entertainment 😛 It was 7-all at the second side change. From 9-all, the Latvians took three in a row to claim the lead at the automatic timeout. The run continued to 13-9, behind a block from Smedins, before the Brazilians got the sideout. They made it back within a point at 13-12, and then took their timeout when Smedins sided out with a cut shot from the right side (which has to be hard as hell to do considering he's a lefty). The timeout buoyed Smedins and Samoilovs, as they extended their lead to 16-12 at the fourth side change. From there, it was mostly sideout after sideout to the 21-17 final and a race to 15 to decide it.
The 3rd set was very, very tight. 3-2, 5-5, and 8-7 were the scores at the first three side changes. The Latvians took the first 2-point lead of the set when Smedins executed the cut shot from the left side — his natural side — this time. That was at 10-8. Pedro and Bruno sided out after the timeout but then gave up 3 straight to fall down by 4. That margin held to match point at 14-10. The Brazilians staved off on reception, but not on serve, and the Latvian team won 15-11. I'd class this at least a minor upset. Pedro and Bruno looked like the better team throughout much of the match.
Nicolai/Lupo vs. Gibb/Patterson
Other than a "run" (and neutralising counter-"run") to 3-1 in the Americans' favour, this one was straight sideout after sideout for a long while. Finally, on 12-11, a long hit from Patterson put the Italians up by 2 for the first time. Nicolai followed with a great powerful kill (hitting on 2 after a terrific dig and pass from Lupo) to put the Italians up 14-11 and prompt the Americans to call time. The two sides played some impressively long rallies as the set wore on. The Americans got back within a point at 16-15, but the Italians extended back to 3 right away when that happened. They reached set point at 20-16, but gave away their first attempt at it with a service error. Gibb saved the second set point with a nice block against Lupo, and then on 20-18 both teams seemed for a moment like they thought they had won the point. It was a joust at the net between Lupo and Gibb, with the point given to Gibb. The Italians looked a little surprised at the call, but they didn't protest. They converted their last set point before extras, with a 21-19 final.
An ace for Nicolai gave the Italians the first 2-point lead of the second set, coming at 6-4. The Americans brought it back even at the second side change, but the Italians responded with another 3-point mini-run to go up 10-7. It didn't really look like the Americans were making all that many mistakes, they just had no margin for error. Then they turned a bit of a corner. They brought the match back even once more at 12-all with an ace (terrible service reception from Nicolai) and got their first lead in quite some time at 13-12 when Patterson was able to win one at the net against Nicolai. That margin held up to the Americans' opportunity to serve for the set on 20-19. 19-all was a great point for the Americans (and a dreadful one for the Italians) as both Patterson and Gibbb had to lay out for the ball to keep it alive. Gibb ran after it and made an ass-backwards stab (on 3, mind you) way off the playing area of the court — and if fell in as Nicolai and Lupo hubby-wife'd it. That gave them set point, and they converted on their second try at it, for a 22-20 final.
Gibb and Patterson took the 2-point lead very early in set 3 — 3-1 — but the Italians drew even by the second side change. Nicolai broke a stretch of sideouts with a block on 8-all to give the Italians their first lead of the set. The Americans got that point back on 11-all, with a nice block from Patterson to put them back on top. Casey played to the crowd a little and got a nice cheer from them, as the Italians called time (mission accomplished?). The Americans reached match point at 14-13, but it was again time for extras. A hitting error from the Italian side sent the Americans to their second straight gold medal final, 17-15 the score in set 3.
It might be an exercise in stating the obvious, but this American team have been really impressive. Even when I think they're just a little bit out-matched, as has happened twice in this tournament now, they still find ways to win. My metaphorical hat is off to them.
Nicolai/Lupo vs. Pedro/Bruno
Really, this is the match I might have expected for gold. Both of these teams looked like they were a step better than their opponents in the semis, but they must be content to play only for bronze. I thought the circumstances favoured the Brazilians a little, as it was a really quick turnaround (only about 45 minutes) after a somewhat long match for the Italians in the semis. But it was the Italians who started off stronger, claiming the first three on serve and leading 5-2 on reception at the side change. They added a point to lead 9-5 on reception at the second change, and then poured it on to go up 14-7 at the midway point. Two good blocks from Nicolai led them there, but honestly it was kind of a sloppy match. Neither side were 'in-system' much. A kill from Nicolai on an 'over-bump' (?) that the Brazil side chose to abandon put the Italians up eight at 18-10. They reached set point at 2o-12, and converted on reception for a 21-13 final.
The Italians continued their run into set 2, winning the point of the match on 4-1. Some great reflexes and instincts were on display as the ball crossed the net a good 7 or 8 times before Nicolai finally found the sand for a kill to give the Italians a 4-point edge. The Brazil team called time after that — they probably just needed a breather. Nicolai and Lupo led by 9-5 at the second side change, but the Brazilians decided to show up at that point and took four straight to knot the set at 9-all. A block for Bruno made it 11-10 Brazil at the halfway point, and the team in orange and green started to look just a little bit more determined at that point. It was 14-all at the fourth side change, as the teams mainly traded sideouts between changes 3 and 4. From 16-all, the Italians added two on serve to take the advantage, but the Brazilians equalised at 19-all. This one went to extras, and seesawed a little. Brazil had a set point at 21-20, but the Italians saved it. Then, on 21-all, the Italians got their second match point on an in/out call (hitting attempt from their side) that Pedro Salgado vehemently protested. The second time was the charm, as Nicolai secured Corrintes bronze with a block to win the match.
Gibb/Patterson vs. Smedins/Samoilovs
It was an even split through the first 12 points, though a lot of them were exciting, long rallies. Latvia took two on serve to go ahead 8-6 at the second side change. They added another to make it a 3-point margin before the Americans got the sideout. Patterson pulled one back on serve at 13-11 with a kill right through Samoilovs' block attempt, but the Latvians got the point back shortly afterward to go back up three at 15-12. When the Latvian lead extended to 5 at 18-13, the Americans called time. They made no inroads into the deficit, as 21-16 was the final. There didn't seem to be a vast gulf in this first set, just a case of Samoilovs and Smedins adding a point here and there, where Gibb and Patterson didn't.
On 2-1, it looked like Samoilovs (who played a crackin' match at the net) might have gotten away with a touch when Patterson's hit attempt flew wide. The Americans got the point back on their serve down 6-5, and it was 7-all at the side change. The bushy-haired Aleksandrs Samoilovs really tried to play to the crowd a number of times. I don't mind a little showmanship, but I understand why other people maybe would. Then, on 9-8, a kill through the middle for Smedins made it 10-8 Latvia as they re-assumed the lead. Samoilovs followed with a big rejection against Gibb. The Latvians reached a lead of 12-9 at the technical timeout. They made it a 4-point set at 17-13, as Gibb and Patterson had a reasonably good sideout percentage for this match but just could never really eat in to the deficit. Not until match point, anyway. The Latvians got there at 20-17, and the Americans saved two but couldn't save the third, falling 21-19.
Congrats to the Latvian champs, and still congrats to the Americans for making two finals in a row. They're still gonna be the world #1 team with their showing in Corrientes.
Full Day Four results
Semifinals
Smedins/Samoilovs (LAT) d. Pedro/Bruno (BRA) (14-21, 21-17, 15-11)
Gibb/Patterson (USA) d. Nicolai/Lupo (ITA) (19-21, 22-20, 17-15)
Bronze medal final
Nicolai/Lupo d. Pedro/Bruno (21-13, 23-21)
Gold medal final
Smedins/Samoilovs d. Gibb/Patterson (21-16, 21-19)
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