Maddie MusselmanMaddie Musselman
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Maddie Musselman and Team USA will play for gold

Rio Roundup - Aug. 17, 2016

Bruin Athletics

The reigning Olympic champion USA Women's Water Polo team will face Italy in gold medal match Friday.

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Women's Water Polo
The U.S. Olympic Women's Water Polo team returns to the gold medal match for the second-straight Olympics after downing Hungary 14-10 on Wednesday.  Three Bruins found the back of the net in the semifinal victory, led by incoming freshman Maddie Musselman's two goals. Courtney Mathewson and Rachel Fattal each scored a goal as well. Team USA, which is coached by UCLA Hall of Famer Adam Krikorian, will now look to defend their gold medal from the London Games on Friday against Italy.  The gold medal match is currently scheduled for 11:30 am PT.  The game will be broadcast on NBC and on NBCOlympics.com/NBC Sports App.


Men's Volleyball
Coach John Speraw's U.S. men's volleyball team advanced to the Olympic semifinals with a 3-0 win over a Poland team which had posted a 4-1 record in pool B play. The U.S. will meet the winner of today's match between Italy and Iran on Friday with a trip to the gold medal match on the line. Russia also advanced to the semis on the other side of the bracket and will face the winner of today's Argentina – Brazil match on Friday.

Women's Golf
Colombia's Mariajo Uribe is tied for 19th after the first 18 holes of the women's Olympic golf tournament. Uribe shot a 1-under 70 on Wednesday and is five shots back of the lead. She made four birdies on her front nine and two more on the back nine to go with a bogey and two doubles. Italy's Giulia Sergas shot a 6-over 77 and is tied for 51st after making two birdies, six bogeys and a double.

Bruin Olympians in the News
The U.S. Men's Volleyball Team has a Coach for the Mind (Andrea Becker)
UCLA's Lauren Fendrick Reflects on Rio Beach Days (Lauren Fendrick)
Sing-along with Team USA Rugby sevens (Kelly Griffin)
Meb Keflezighi, Bernard Lagat, and the Secret to Running Forever (Meb Keflezighi)
Karsta Lowe is on Rio volleyball high (Karsta Lowe)
How Courtney Mathewson gets the whole water polo team to train to old-school rap (Courtney Mathewson)
Grieving water polo coach finds his therapy at the pool (Adam Krikorian)
U.S. women's water polo playing for gold after losing 'part of our family' (USA Water Polo)

Social Media Highlights
Meb Keflezighi has finally made it to Rio!


Madison Kocian and her teammates will grace the cover of People Magazine.
Tori Pena calls it a career. Thank you, Tori, for being such a great representative for UCLA and Ireland!

Getting emotional here so this will be long winded... Since 2010 I've had the pleasure and absolute honor of representing Ireland. This morning was my last time putting on my uniform and proudly giving it my all. I've competed at 3 World Championships, 5 European Championships and 2 Olympic Games. But so much more importantly, I've had the honor to compete with some amazing women. (Seriously, women's pole vault is on fire and I'm happy to say I've competed with these athletes) I've made friends with ladies from around the world who have shown me strength, courage, bravery, and joy. This journey has been painstaking and heart wrenching. It's been beautiful and profound. I've learned more about myself than I ever thought imaginable. Believe in yourself people, you'll be surprised what you can achieve. I also can't even begin to name all the people who have helped me along the way. From high school coaches and school teachers. To my amazing training partners, coaches, and therapists. Friends and athletes who have picked me up from the airport at strange hours and given me a place to sleep or a ride to the next meet with my poles. The list goes on full of odd and obscure favors from people in the pole vault community and far beyond. I've loved every minute of it! thank you, thank you, thank you

A photo posted by toripena (@toripena) on