Beach Volleyball
Sarah Sponcil's Olympic debut featured an epic finish where she and her Trojan partner, Kelly Claes, defeated Latvia's Tina Graudina (USC) and Anastasija Kravcenoka in a three-set thriller. The American duo won the first set 21-13, but Latvia won the second, 21-16, forcing a third and final set. Latvia held an 11-9 lead before USA would score the final six points of the match for the 15-11 win.
Sponcil had nine kills, two aces, and a match-high 10 digs.
Up next for Sponcil/Claes is a pool play match vs. Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Khadambi (Kenya) on Wednesday, July 28 at 5:00 p.m. PDT on USA.
Women's Basketball
Nirra Fields shined for Canada in the team's 72-68 loss against Serbia, scoring a game-high 19 points and adding three assists and four rebounds on Monday in Tokyo. Fields knocked down 8-of-14 field goals, including a pair of triples, in just over 22 minutes of game action. She was also active on the defensive end, grabbing a game-high four steals.
Angela Dugalic did not make an appearance for Serbia in the win. Serbia secured the opening-night victory in its first game since winning the European Championship earlier this summer.
Team Canada is back in action in Group A against South Korea on Thursday morning (Wednesday evening, Los Angeles time). Dugalic and Serbia square off against Spain in Group B on Friday evening (Thursday morning, Los Angeles time). Atonye Nyingifa is next up for the Bruins in Tokyo, as Nigeria and the United States tip off on Monday evening at 9:40 p.m. PT on USA.
Softball
The United States softball team recorded a walk-off victory for the second game in a row, defeating Japan 2-1 to complete pool play with a perfect 5-0 mark. Ally Carda earned her first Olympic start in the circle and was fantastic, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings, only giving up an unearned run and four hits with no walks. Delaney Spaulding started at shortstop, hitting sixth, and walked in three plate appearances. Rachel Garcia entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning, while Bubba Nickles did not play. The U.S. and Japan square off for the gold medal on Tuesday at 4 a.m. PT. The game will air live on NBCSN and NBCOlympics.com.
Tennis
Jean-Julien Rojer, who was scheduled to play in the doubles second round alongside partner Wesley Koolhof, was placed in COVID protocols and has withdrawn from the tournament.
Rojer, who was competing in his third Olympic Games for the Netherlands, earned his first-career win on the stage when he and Koolhof posted a 6-3, 7-6(5) triumph over Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen of Germany on the first day of competition.
Men's Volleyball
The U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, coached by UCLA head men's volleyball coach John Speraw, and featuring Bruins Garrett Muagututia (UCLA 2007-10) and Mitch Stahl (UCLA 2014-17), continued play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on July 25 with a 1-3 loss to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Scores of the Preliminary Round Pool B match were 23-25, 25-27, 25-21, 23-25. The U.S. was listed fifth in the latest FIVB Senior World Rankings entering the Olympics, while the Russian team, now 2-0, was ranked third and captured the gold medal in the 2012 Games.
Both Bruins saw their first action in the Olympics in the match against the ROC. Stahl came off the bench to register 5 kills. Muagututia, also played as a reserve and was credited with one kill.
The U.S. men, now 1-1 in the competition after opening with a sweep of France, will battle 16th-ranked Tunisia (0-1) on July 27 (USA, NBCOlympics.com) before facing the 2016 gold medalists from Brazil (1-0), currently listed as the top team in the World, on July 29. The U.S. closes out pool play against 8th-ranked Argentina (0-1) on August 1. The U.S. has won the Olympic gold medal in 1984, 1988 and 2008.
The top four teams in each of the two pools will advance to the Quarterfinals which will be played on August 2 and 3. Semifinal matches are slated for August 4 and 5. The medal matches will be contested on August 6 and August 7.
Women's Water Polo
Team USA improved to 2-0 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, rallying for a 12-7 win over China. The Americans trailed 4-2 at the 2:39 mark of the first quarter but battled back to tie it 6-6 at halftime. Then the defense went to work, denying China a goal for 12:46 in the second half to build a 10-6 lead and the U.S. never looked back.
All three Bruins started the match with Rachel Fattal winning all four sprints and finishing second on the team with two goals against China. Defender Alys Williams scored her first Olympic goal with just 0:46 left in the fourth quarter, the final goal of the game. Maddie Musselman was scoreless but had one steal and one assist.
Up next for USA is a pool play game vs. Hungary on Tuesday, July 27 at 10:00 p.m. PDT (NBCOlympics.com). Australia will face Spain in pool play on Friday, July 30 at 3:50 a.m. PDT.
Bronte Halligan also got the start for the Aussie Stingers as Australia improved to 2-0 in pool play with a 15-12 win over the Netherlands on Monday. She was scoreless but registered a game-high two field blocks on the defensive end. Australia will now face Spain on Friday, July 30.
Adam Krikorian, head coach of Team USA, was part of 15 NCAA Championships while at UCLA as a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach with the Bruins' men's and women's water polo teams.
Bruin Olympians in the News
Jamaican gymnast competes for 11 seconds, fulfills the dream of a lifetime – Today (Danusia Francis)
Living the dream.
Ally Carda appreciation Tweets.
Sarah Sponcil's Olympic debut featured an epic finish where she and her Trojan partner, Kelly Claes, defeated Latvia's Tina Graudina (USC) and Anastasija Kravcenoka in a three-set thriller. The American duo won the first set 21-13, but Latvia won the second, 21-16, forcing a third and final set. Latvia held an 11-9 lead before USA would score the final six points of the match for the 15-11 win.
Sponcil had nine kills, two aces, and a match-high 10 digs.
Up next for Sponcil/Claes is a pool play match vs. Gaudencia Makokha and Brackcides Khadambi (Kenya) on Wednesday, July 28 at 5:00 p.m. PDT on USA.
Women's Basketball
Nirra Fields shined for Canada in the team's 72-68 loss against Serbia, scoring a game-high 19 points and adding three assists and four rebounds on Monday in Tokyo. Fields knocked down 8-of-14 field goals, including a pair of triples, in just over 22 minutes of game action. She was also active on the defensive end, grabbing a game-high four steals.
Angela Dugalic did not make an appearance for Serbia in the win. Serbia secured the opening-night victory in its first game since winning the European Championship earlier this summer.
Team Canada is back in action in Group A against South Korea on Thursday morning (Wednesday evening, Los Angeles time). Dugalic and Serbia square off against Spain in Group B on Friday evening (Thursday morning, Los Angeles time). Atonye Nyingifa is next up for the Bruins in Tokyo, as Nigeria and the United States tip off on Monday evening at 9:40 p.m. PT on USA.
Softball
The United States softball team recorded a walk-off victory for the second game in a row, defeating Japan 2-1 to complete pool play with a perfect 5-0 mark. Ally Carda earned her first Olympic start in the circle and was fantastic, striking out nine in 5 1/3 innings, only giving up an unearned run and four hits with no walks. Delaney Spaulding started at shortstop, hitting sixth, and walked in three plate appearances. Rachel Garcia entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth inning, while Bubba Nickles did not play. The U.S. and Japan square off for the gold medal on Tuesday at 4 a.m. PT. The game will air live on NBCSN and NBCOlympics.com.
Tennis
Jean-Julien Rojer, who was scheduled to play in the doubles second round alongside partner Wesley Koolhof, was placed in COVID protocols and has withdrawn from the tournament.
Rojer, who was competing in his third Olympic Games for the Netherlands, earned his first-career win on the stage when he and Koolhof posted a 6-3, 7-6(5) triumph over Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen of Germany on the first day of competition.
Men's Volleyball
The U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team, coached by UCLA head men's volleyball coach John Speraw, and featuring Bruins Garrett Muagututia (UCLA 2007-10) and Mitch Stahl (UCLA 2014-17), continued play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics on July 25 with a 1-3 loss to the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). Scores of the Preliminary Round Pool B match were 23-25, 25-27, 25-21, 23-25. The U.S. was listed fifth in the latest FIVB Senior World Rankings entering the Olympics, while the Russian team, now 2-0, was ranked third and captured the gold medal in the 2012 Games.
Both Bruins saw their first action in the Olympics in the match against the ROC. Stahl came off the bench to register 5 kills. Muagututia, also played as a reserve and was credited with one kill.
The U.S. men, now 1-1 in the competition after opening with a sweep of France, will battle 16th-ranked Tunisia (0-1) on July 27 (USA, NBCOlympics.com) before facing the 2016 gold medalists from Brazil (1-0), currently listed as the top team in the World, on July 29. The U.S. closes out pool play against 8th-ranked Argentina (0-1) on August 1. The U.S. has won the Olympic gold medal in 1984, 1988 and 2008.
The top four teams in each of the two pools will advance to the Quarterfinals which will be played on August 2 and 3. Semifinal matches are slated for August 4 and 5. The medal matches will be contested on August 6 and August 7.
Women's Water Polo
Team USA improved to 2-0 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, rallying for a 12-7 win over China. The Americans trailed 4-2 at the 2:39 mark of the first quarter but battled back to tie it 6-6 at halftime. Then the defense went to work, denying China a goal for 12:46 in the second half to build a 10-6 lead and the U.S. never looked back.
All three Bruins started the match with Rachel Fattal winning all four sprints and finishing second on the team with two goals against China. Defender Alys Williams scored her first Olympic goal with just 0:46 left in the fourth quarter, the final goal of the game. Maddie Musselman was scoreless but had one steal and one assist.
Up next for USA is a pool play game vs. Hungary on Tuesday, July 27 at 10:00 p.m. PDT (NBCOlympics.com). Australia will face Spain in pool play on Friday, July 30 at 3:50 a.m. PDT.
Bronte Halligan also got the start for the Aussie Stingers as Australia improved to 2-0 in pool play with a 15-12 win over the Netherlands on Monday. She was scoreless but registered a game-high two field blocks on the defensive end. Australia will now face Spain on Friday, July 30.
Adam Krikorian, head coach of Team USA, was part of 15 NCAA Championships while at UCLA as a student-athlete, assistant coach, and head coach with the Bruins' men's and women's water polo teams.
Bruin Olympians in the News
Jamaican gymnast competes for 11 seconds, fulfills the dream of a lifetime – Today (Danusia Francis)
There are 2?0?? current or former @UCLAAthletics student-athletes in Tokyo with @TeamUSA ????
— Olympians Made Here (@omhpmh) July 25, 2021
Meet two of them: Garrett Muagututia and Mitch Stahl of the U.S. Olympic men's volleyball team.#OlympiansMadeHere I #GoTeamUSA pic.twitter.com/5TDoMPvx1s
Living the dream.
Despite not advancing beyond the qualification round, that did not dampen Danusia's spirits as she can finally and proudly say that she is an Olympian. ????
— Team Jamaica (@TeamJA876) July 25, 2021
?????? #TeamJamaica #GuhHaadAndDone #DanusiaFrancis
Read more:https://t.co/GnVLdtU2fG pic.twitter.com/vLJudooqIm
Ally Carda appreciation Tweets.
Also can we all just take a second to appreciate the athlete @acarda3 is? Pitcher, hitter, infielder, outfielder, runner—woman does it all for @USASoftballWNT!
— Laura Ricciardone (@CoachLauraRicc) July 25, 2021
Just an all around PLAYER ready to do whatever it takes to win for her team. They don't make many like you, 3????
I love Ally Carda. Always have respected her inside competitor. Straight up HARD WORKER that deserves her moment!@acarda3
— Lauren Chamberlain (@LChamberlain44) July 26, 2021
Ally Carda is a literal human computer…baby girl analyzed. readjusted and has been dealing ever since ???? pic.twitter.com/fFwndUzQeM
— Coach Christi, DNP ???????? (@SnapMyAd) July 26, 2021