Team USA wins first-ever indoor volleyball gold

In an exhilarating final match on the final day of the Tokyo Games, the U.S. volleyball team claimed its first Olympic gold medal with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-14) victory over Brazil on Sunday.

Team USA’s sixth volleyball medal completes the collection after the Americans won three silver and two bronze medals previously.

“I’m just still in a state of shock,” said Jordan Larson after her unreturned spike on match point secured the win for Team USA.

“I cried more in the last 24 hours than I think I have in my career,” she continued. “I’m not an emotional player, an emotional person. But I think just the emotions got the best of me. I’m now in kind of this euphoria, a state of shock.”

The women of indoor @USAVolleyball win their first Olympic gold medal EVER!#TokyoOlympics x @TeamUSA pic.twitter.com/VAicS2KGwI

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) August 8, 2021

Annie Drews led the U.S. team with 15 points, followed by Michelle Bartsch-Hackley with 14 and Jordan Larson with 12.

Larson, who was a part of the 2012 silver-medal team and the 2016 bronze-medal team, paved the way for Team USA this tournament with her veteran experience and excellent performances on the attack.

“I couldn’t write a better story for her,” setter Jordyn Poulter said, referring to Larson’s winning point.

Larson and Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson, who both returned for a third Olympics after falling short in Rio, completed their medal collection on the last day of the Games.

“Her and Fouke have put so much time into this program and been through thick and thin,” Poulter said. “To be on this journey with them has been incredible.”

Saving the best for last.@JordanLarson10 & @fakinradewo now have a complete set of Olympic medals: 🥈 in London 2012, 🥉 in Rio 2016 and 🥇 in Tokyo 2020 pic.twitter.com/5x31Bt4dK8

— USA Volleyball (@usavolleyball) August 8, 2021