Initial look at Olympics men’s volleyball quarterfinals

Photo courtesy of the FIVB

The quarterfinals for the Olympics men’s volleyball tournament are set.

Check out what to know about each of the four match-ups that will take place on Monday, including the United States playing Brazil.

No. 2 seed United States (3-0) vs. No. 7 seed Brazil (1-2)
Match vitals:
9 p.m. (3 p.m. EDT) Monday in Paris
World rankings: United States (No. 6); Brazil (No. 7)
How they reached the quarterfinals: The United States went undefeated in pool-play to win the Pool C title and earn the No. 2 seed. Brazil rebounded from two losses to open the tournament and finished as the top third-place team among the three pools to receive the No. 7 seed.
Olympic all-time series: United States leads 7-6
Last meeting in Olympics: Brazil defeated the United States in pool-play at the 2020 Olympics.
Last non-Olympics meeting: United States defeated Brazil in five games in the Volleyball Nations League in June.
Olympic appearances: United States (1964, 1968, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020); Brazil (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024)
Olympic medals: United States (1984 gold, 1988 gold, 1992 bronze, 2008 gold, 2016 bronze); Brazil (1984 silver, 1992 gold, 2004 gold, 2008 silver, 2012 silver, 2016 gold)
U.S. player to know: Former Penn State outside attacker Aaaron Russell leads the United States with 38 kills on a .485 attack percentage and had double-digit kills in all three pool-play matches.
Brazil player to know: Pin-hitter Darlan Ferreira Souza was second among all players with 52 kills during pool-play, including having a match-high 23 kills in a loss to Italy.
Additional stat to know: Former USC setter Micah Christenson has guided the United States to at least a .400 attack percentage in every match so far this Olympics.

<

No. 1 seed Italy (3-0) vs. No. 8 seed Japan (1-2)
Match vitals:
1 p.m. (7 a.m. EDT) Monday in Paris
World rankings: Italy (No. 3); Japan (No. 2)
How they reached the quarterfinals: Italy went undefeated in pool-play and lost the fewest sets of any team en route to earning the No. 1 overall seed. Japan was the second-best third-place team among the three pools to earn the final quarterfinals berth.
Last meeting in Olympics: Italy defeated Japan in pool-play at the 2020 Olympics.
Last non-Olympics meeting: Italy defeated Japan in four games in the Volleyball Nations League in May.
Olympic appearances: Italy (1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024); Japan (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2008, 2020, 2024)
Olympic medals: Italy (1984 bronze, 1996 silver, 2000 bronze, 2004 silver, 2012 bronze, 2016 silver); Japan (1964 bronze, 1968 silver, 1972 gold)
Italy player to know: Yuri Romano is fifth in the tournament with 45 kills on a .526 attack percentage and has not committed more than three attack errors in a match at this Olympics.
Japan player to know: Yuji Nishida had at least 15 kills in all three pool-play matches and is third at the tournament with 48 kills. The pin-hitter also is third in the tournament with eight aces.

No. 3 seed Slovenia (3-0) vs. No. 6 seed Poland (1-2)
Match vitals:
9 a.m. (3 a.m. EDT) Monday in Paris
World rankings: Slovenia (No. 5); Poland (No. 1)
How they reached the quarterfinals: Slovenia went undefeated in pool-play to win the Pool A title and earn the No. 3 seed. Poland opened the tournament with two wins and finished in second place in Pool B to receive the No. 6 seed.
Olympic appearances: Poland (1968, 1972 1976, 1980, 1996, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024); Slovenia (2024)
Olympic medals: Poland (1976 gold); Slovenia (none)
Last meeting in Olympics: First meeting in the Olympics.
Last non-Olympics meeting: Poland swept Slovenia to win the bronze medal at the Volleyball Nations League Finals in June.
Slovenia player to know: Toncek Stern leads all players at the tournament with 66 kills and had at least 20 kills in all three pool-play matches.
Poland player to know: Wilfredo Leon led Poland with both 38 kills and six aces during the pool-play stage, including having 21 kills in a loss to Brazil

No. 4 seed France (2-1) vs. No. 5 seed Germany (2-1)
Match vitals:
5 p.m. (11 a.m. EDT) Monday in Paris
World rankings: France (No. 4); Germany (No. 11)
How they reached the quarterfinals: France won its first two pool-play matches and finished in second place in Pool A to clinch the No. 4 seed. Germany upset Japan on the opening day of the tournament and finished Pool C in second place to earn the No. 5 seed.
Olympic appearances: France (1988, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2020, 2024); Germany (2008, 2012, 2024)
Olympic medals: France (2020 gold); Germany (none)
Last meeting in Olympics: First meeting in the Olympics.
Last non-Olympics meeting: Germany defeated France in four games in the Volleyball Nations League in June.
France player to know: Pin-hitter Jean Patry leads France with 45 kills, including having a match-high 19 kills in a pool-play victory against Serbia.
Germany player to know: Gyorgy Grozer leads the tournament with 11 blocks and had double-digit kills in all three pool-play matches.