Photo by: Getty Images
Bruins in Paris: Aug. 9, 2024
August 09, 2024 | Bruin Athletics, Olympics
Men's Indoor Volleyball
Team USA and UCLA men's volleyball head coach John Speraw, and former student-athletes Micah Ma'a (2016-19) and Garrett Muagututia (2007-10) earned the Olympic bronze medal with a 3-0 (25-23, 30-28, 26-24) win over Italy on Friday morning.
With the win, Coach Speraw has now coached two Olympic bronze medal winning teams, having also coached Team USA to a bronze medal finish in Rio in 2016. Micah Ma'a, in his first Olympics, earned his first medal, while Muagututia took home a medal for the first time in his second Olympics after also competing for Team USA in Tokyo. Erik Sullivan (1992-95) also helped Team USA to the bronze as the team leader for the squad in Paris.ย
Read the full recap here.
Track & Field
Antonie Nortje (2022-24) and South Africa advances in the men's 4x400m relay event at the Paris Olympic Games. Nortje, who ran the third leg of the relay, was tripped up around the first turn shortly after he was handed the baton. Following an appeal, Nigeria was disqualified for an earlier lane violation and the South African relay was granted a qualification to the final.
Rai Benjamin, who competed for UCLA from 2016-17, claimed gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The two-time Olympian (2020, 2024) ran 46.46 in the men's 400m hurdle final to earn his first individual gold medal at the Olympics. Benjamin previously medaled in the men's 4x400m relay (gold) and 400m hurdles (silver) at the Tokyo Games. See the full recap here.
Women's Golf
Mariajo Uribe (2007-09) of Colombia shot a 1-under 71 in the third round of the Olympics at Le Golf National on Friday, bringing her to 5-under for the tournament (70-70-71). She trails clubhouse leaders Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and Morgane Metraux (Switzerland) by four strokes heading into tomorrow's final round. Uribe, who is making her third Olympic appearance, will be playing her final round as a professional golfer on Saturday.
Patty Tavatanakit (2017-19) of Thailand shot the lowest score of the day by a Bruin with a 4-under 68 to move 13 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 17th. Tavatanakit is 1-under for the tournament (76-71-68).
Lilia Vu (2015-18) of the United States shot a 4-over 76 on day three and is now in a tie for 27th at +3 for the tournament. Emma Spitz (2019-22) of Austria carded a 3-over 75 and is now tied for 32nd at 4-over.
Stanford's Rose Zhang of the United States is the low American after 54 holes following a stellar 5-under 67 on Friday, putting herself two strokes back of the lead at -7.
Final round coverage of the Paris Olympics will begin at midnight (PT) on the Golf Channel.
Men's Water Polo
The U.S. Men's Olympic Water Polo Team came up short in their semifinal battle with Serbia, losing 10-6 on Friday, August 9. Team USA now looks towards the bronze medal match on Sunday against Hungary semifinal. Game time is set for 10:35 a.m. Paris time/1:35 a.m. PT with LIVE coverage on USA Network and Peacock. The match will re-air on USA Network at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Team USA led 1-0 before Serbia came back to tie the match with 3:39 left in the first quarter. UCLA's Ryder Dodd hit on a power play moments later to put the United States back ahead at 2-1. With less than 90 seconds to go in the quarter Serbia scored again to even the match at 2-2 after one. Halfway through the second quarter it was Serbia taking a lead they would never give up as they pulled ahead 3-2 with 4:22 to play. Serbia followed with another goal for a 4-2 lead. The United States would get one back with a power play strike. After back-to-back power play goals, one for each country, Serbia's Nikola Dedovic hit on one of his four goals in the match for a 6-4 edge at intermission.
Serbia opened up a three-goal lead in the first minute of the third quarter, leading 7-4. Team USA clawed back on a power play to make it 7-5. Serbia again went up three at 8-5 but another power play goal for the Americans cut it to 8-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Serbia tightened up their defense over the final eight minutes as they held Team USA scoreless. On the other end Serbia was able to keep its offense going. Two power play goals spelled doom for Team USA as Serbia took the match by four.
Social Media Posts
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Bruin Olympians in the News
U.S. men win volleyball bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, beating Italy in straight sets โ AP (Speraw, Ma'a, Muagututia)
Team USA scores historic sixth medal in men's volleyball โ NBC (Speraw, Ma'a, Muagututia)
Paris Olympics: Rai Benjamin gets redemption in men's 400 hurdles โ Yahoo Sports (Rai Benjamin)
Meet the LPGA mom who could win an Olympic medal on the day she retires โ Golfweek (Mariajo Uribe)
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Team USA and UCLA men's volleyball head coach John Speraw, and former student-athletes Micah Ma'a (2016-19) and Garrett Muagututia (2007-10) earned the Olympic bronze medal with a 3-0 (25-23, 30-28, 26-24) win over Italy on Friday morning.
With the win, Coach Speraw has now coached two Olympic bronze medal winning teams, having also coached Team USA to a bronze medal finish in Rio in 2016. Micah Ma'a, in his first Olympics, earned his first medal, while Muagututia took home a medal for the first time in his second Olympics after also competing for Team USA in Tokyo. Erik Sullivan (1992-95) also helped Team USA to the bronze as the team leader for the squad in Paris.ย
Read the full recap here.
Track & Field
Antonie Nortje (2022-24) and South Africa advances in the men's 4x400m relay event at the Paris Olympic Games. Nortje, who ran the third leg of the relay, was tripped up around the first turn shortly after he was handed the baton. Following an appeal, Nigeria was disqualified for an earlier lane violation and the South African relay was granted a qualification to the final.
Rai Benjamin, who competed for UCLA from 2016-17, claimed gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The two-time Olympian (2020, 2024) ran 46.46 in the men's 400m hurdle final to earn his first individual gold medal at the Olympics. Benjamin previously medaled in the men's 4x400m relay (gold) and 400m hurdles (silver) at the Tokyo Games. See the full recap here.
Women's Golf
Mariajo Uribe (2007-09) of Colombia shot a 1-under 71 in the third round of the Olympics at Le Golf National on Friday, bringing her to 5-under for the tournament (70-70-71). She trails clubhouse leaders Lydia Ko (New Zealand) and Morgane Metraux (Switzerland) by four strokes heading into tomorrow's final round. Uribe, who is making her third Olympic appearance, will be playing her final round as a professional golfer on Saturday.
Patty Tavatanakit (2017-19) of Thailand shot the lowest score of the day by a Bruin with a 4-under 68 to move 13 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 17th. Tavatanakit is 1-under for the tournament (76-71-68).
Lilia Vu (2015-18) of the United States shot a 4-over 76 on day three and is now in a tie for 27th at +3 for the tournament. Emma Spitz (2019-22) of Austria carded a 3-over 75 and is now tied for 32nd at 4-over.
Stanford's Rose Zhang of the United States is the low American after 54 holes following a stellar 5-under 67 on Friday, putting herself two strokes back of the lead at -7.
Final round coverage of the Paris Olympics will begin at midnight (PT) on the Golf Channel.
Men's Water Polo
The U.S. Men's Olympic Water Polo Team came up short in their semifinal battle with Serbia, losing 10-6 on Friday, August 9. Team USA now looks towards the bronze medal match on Sunday against Hungary semifinal. Game time is set for 10:35 a.m. Paris time/1:35 a.m. PT with LIVE coverage on USA Network and Peacock. The match will re-air on USA Network at 10:30 a.m. PT.
Team USA led 1-0 before Serbia came back to tie the match with 3:39 left in the first quarter. UCLA's Ryder Dodd hit on a power play moments later to put the United States back ahead at 2-1. With less than 90 seconds to go in the quarter Serbia scored again to even the match at 2-2 after one. Halfway through the second quarter it was Serbia taking a lead they would never give up as they pulled ahead 3-2 with 4:22 to play. Serbia followed with another goal for a 4-2 lead. The United States would get one back with a power play strike. After back-to-back power play goals, one for each country, Serbia's Nikola Dedovic hit on one of his four goals in the match for a 6-4 edge at intermission.
Serbia opened up a three-goal lead in the first minute of the third quarter, leading 7-4. Team USA clawed back on a power play to make it 7-5. Serbia again went up three at 8-5 but another power play goal for the Americans cut it to 8-6 heading into the fourth quarter. Serbia tightened up their defense over the final eight minutes as they held Team USA scoreless. On the other end Serbia was able to keep its offense going. Two power play goals spelled doom for Team USA as Serbia took the match by four.
Social Media Posts
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Coming home with the Bronze! ????
โ UCLA M. Volleyball (@UCLAMVB) August 9, 2024
So proud of you @JohnSperaw, Micah, and Garrett!#GoBruins | #OlympiansMadeHere | #UCLAOlympians pic.twitter.com/GxtgXq6FhK
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DEFALCO FOR THE WIN.
โ NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
Team USA sweeps Italy to take bronze in Paris. #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/kINeVU8xxo
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RAI BENJAMIN IS FINALLY AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION. #ParisOlympics
โ NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) August 9, 2024
?? NBC & Peacock pic.twitter.com/9Zhd1exQdi
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In her FINAL event, @MariaJoUribe is now just one shot back on -7 ??#Paris2024 | #Olympics pic.twitter.com/xEnTiHF79Z
โ Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 9, 2024
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VAMOS MARIAJO, VAMOS COLOMBIA ??????
โ Golf Channel LA (@GolfChannelLA) August 9, 2024
En el Par-4 del hoyo 6 llega el primer birdie del día para @MariaJoUribe en la tercera ronda de París 2024. ??
De momento, Uribe se ubica en la cuarta posición del tablero. ?? pic.twitter.com/UDc4C8iTa8
Bruin Olympians in the News
U.S. men win volleyball bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, beating Italy in straight sets โ AP (Speraw, Ma'a, Muagututia)
Team USA scores historic sixth medal in men's volleyball โ NBC (Speraw, Ma'a, Muagututia)
Paris Olympics: Rai Benjamin gets redemption in men's 400 hurdles โ Yahoo Sports (Rai Benjamin)
Meet the LPGA mom who could win an Olympic medal on the day she retires โ Golfweek (Mariajo Uribe)
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