U.S. women’s volleyball avenges loss to Serbia, reaches final

TOKYO (AP) — U.S. volleyball star Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson woke up with a vision that her team was poised to make it back to the gold medal game.

Five years after Akinradewo Gunderson could only watch the end of a crushing five-set loss to Serbia in the Olympic semifinals because of an injured knee, she helped lead her team one step closer to the ultimate prize.

Akinradewo Gunderson provided key blocks at the net, her best attacking match of the tournament and emotion to help the U.S. make it to the gold medal match for the fourth time ever by avenging a 2016 semifinal loss to Serbia with a 25-19, 25-15, 25-23 victory Friday.

“I just felt it,” Akinradewo Gunderson said. “I just felt trust in our group. It was just a feeling I had. Actually I’ve never felt that before, to be honest. But this morning I woke up and I was like: ‘We’re going to do this. We’re going to get it done.’ I’m glad that came to fruition.”

The Americans easily dispatched the team that denied them a chance at their elusive first gold medal in Rio de Janeiro. They advanced to the gold medal match against Brazil, which beat South Korea in straight sets in the other semifinal.

Serbia will play South Korea for the bronze after beating the U.S. in five sets in Rio in a loss that haunted the U.S. players and staff.

“It wasn’t like, ‘Oh we have to get redemption of this or that,'” Akinradewo Gunderson said.

“It was we just want to win a gold medal and whatever that’s going to take, we’re going to do that.”

The U.S. played from ahead for most of the match thanks to a strong serving performance by Akinradewo Gunderson to open the game.

The Americans earned nine set points in the opening frame, when Jordan Larson scored on a block at the net. After squandering its first four chances, the U.S. took the set on a kill by Akinradewo Gunderson, whose knee injury five years ago against Serbia contributed to the loss.

Akinradewo Gunderson let out a scream after winning the second set with a block at the net and came up with another key block late in the third.

Larson then won it with a kill that Serbia couldn't return and fell to her knees in celebration as her teammates poured onto the court.

Larson and Akinradewo Gunderson are three-time Olympians who have played major roles in the success of the Americans the past decade. Now with their international careers likely nearing the end, they have one more shot at the prize that has eluded them.