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Check out all the Olympic men’s volleyball quarterfinal matches to follow today and how to follow them live.
United States (3-2) vs. Poland (4-1)
Match vitals: 10 a.m. (CST) in Rio
Follow live: Live stats, Online video, In-match tweets
Last Olympic gold medal: United States (2008); Poland (1976)
All-time Olympic series: Tied 1-1
How it reached quarterfinals: The United States rallied after losing its first two Olympic matches to close out pool-play in a three-match winning streak, including sweeping Mexico on Monday to clinch a quarterfinals berth. Poland was only team to beat the Pool B champions Argentina during pool-play. That match also was one of the Poland’s three sweeps in pool-play matches to help to clinch the No. 2 seed in Pool B and a quarterfinals berth.
What to know: Even during pool-play before the United States had clinched a quarterfinals berth coach John Speraw called this Olympics emotionally draining and the most competitive volleyball he ever witnesses. That intensity is about to increase even more with one match to determine if the United States will remain in gold-medal contention. The United States after earning the No. 3 seed in Pool A will play Poland in the quarterfinals. Despite beginning its Olympics with two losses, the 2015 FIVB World Cup champions United States defeated Brazil, France and Mexico in its final pool-play matches to reach the quarterfinals for the fourth straight Olympics. Poland, unlike the United States, opened its tournament with three victories and had already clinched a quarterfinals berth entering its pool-play finale. This quarterfinals match will feature some of the top offensive players in the tournament. Poland outside attacker Bartosz Kurek, U.S. outside attacker Aaron Russell and U.S. opposite Matt Anderson are three of the seven players in the tournament with more than 60 kills. Kurek leads all players with both 78 kills and a .504 attack percentage, including having a tournament-high 31 kills in a five-game pool-play loss to Russia on Saturday. This was one of two pool-play matches that Kurek finished with at least 20 kills. He also had more than a .550 attack percentage all but one of Poland’s five pool-play matches. Russell competing in his first Olympics is third at tournament with 68 kills and has .338 attack percentage along with double-digit kills in four pool-play matches. In addition, Anderson is in the tournament’s top five with 63 kills, including finishing with a match-high 23 kills in a four-game victory against Brazil. Along with the individual performances, the United States has more than a .350 attack percentage in three of its last four games and hit a tournament-high .462 in its sweep against Mexico. Poland had more than a .350 attack percentage in all five of its pool-play matches and hit at least .500 in three of those matches. U.S. setter Micah Christenson also has a tournament-best 11.00 assists per game average, while Polish setter Grzegorz Lomacz is third at the Olympics with a 10.47 assists per game average. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since Poland beat the United States at the World Cup in September — the only loss for the United States at the tournament. Kurek in that four-game victory had a match-high 13 kills, and both Anderson and Russell finished with double-digit kills. In addition, Poland and the United States each had more than .400 attack percentage in the World Cup match. The United States despite that recent loss was 4-1 against Poland in 2015 FIVB World League play, including a win in the bronze-medal match.
Russia (4-1) vs. Canada (3-2)
Match vitals: 8 a.m. (CST) in Rio
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Last Olympic gold medal: Russia (2012); Canada (never)
How it reached quarterfinals: Canada defeated the Pool A champions Italy in its pool-play finale to clinch the nation’s first quarterfinals berth in Olympic men’s volleyball history. Russia only pool-play loss was against the Pool B champions Argentina and it defeated Poland in five games to clinch a quarterfinals berth.
Italy (4-1) vs. Iran (2-3)
Match vitals: 4 p.m. (CST) in Rio
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Last Olympic gold medal: Italy (never); Iran (never)
How they reached quarterfinals: Italy won its first four pool-play matches, including beating the United States in four games, to clinch the Pool A championship and a No. 1 seed for the quarterfinals. Iran competing in its first Olympic men’s volleyball tournament earned the No. 4 seed in Pool B and a quarterfinals berth after sweeping Egypt and Cuba in pool-play.
Argentina (4-1) vs. Brazil (3-2)
Match vitals: 8:15 p.m. (CST) in Rio
Follow live: Live stats, Online video
Last Olympic gold medal: Argentina (never); Brazil (1992)
How they reached quarterfinals: Argentina clinched the Pool B championship and a No. 1 seed for the quarterfinals as upset Russia and swept Iran, Cuba and Egypt in pool-play. Brazil overcame two consecutive losses to defeat France in its pool-play finale on Monday to earn the Pool A No. 4 seed and final quarterfinals berth.