The U.S. women’s volleyball team finished with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics after losing the gold-medal match to Italy in straight sets on Sunday.
Italy started the match strong, building a 6-1 lead before ultimately winning the first set 25-18. They continued to dominate, securing the second set 25-20 and the third set 25-17.
This marks the fifth consecutive Olympics in which Team USA has medaled in women’s volleyball, dating back to 2008. The team made it to the gold medal match for the second time in a row after defeating Brazil at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but again faced a setback in a 3-0 loss.
For Italy, this victory represents the first Olympic women’s volleyball medal in the country’s history and their first gold in Olympic volleyball. The Italian team, which had never finished higher than fifth in past Olympics, only conceded one set throughout their six matches in Paris.
The defeat will have significant effects on the Olympic medal standings. The U.S. was trailing China by one gold medal with a count of 39-38 before the match, and the loss means Team USA now lags behind by two gold medals as the final day of the competition approaches.