U.S. volleyball teams going for gold medals

• Advocate news services
• Published: Aug 23, 2008 - Page: 11C - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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BEIJING — The U.S. women’s indoor volleyball team has its sights set on making history in today’s Olympic final.

The fourth-ranked Americans dispatched No. 2 Italy in the quarterfinals and No. 3 Cuba in the semifinals, leaving one more challenge — No. 1 Brazil. Action is set to begin at 7 a.m. CDT.

Louisiana natives Danielle Scott-Arruda and Kim Willoughby are expected to play key roles in today’s contest, the first Olympic final for the U.S. in 24 years.

“I want the gold,” U.S. outside hitter Logan Tom said in one news conference. “We’ve spent years and years of hard work, sacrifice and dedication.

“A lot of these girls … we’ve sweat, bled and cried together.”

Count Scott-Arruda, playing in her fourth Olympics, in that group. The former Woodlawn High and Long Beach State star is only the second four-time Olympian in women’s indoor volleyball.

The title contest will be a collision of the two cultures the Baton Rouge native embraces. In addition to playing professionally in Brazil for several years, Scott-Arruda’s husband, Eduardo, is  a native of Brazil who played professionally and was a member of the men’s national indoor team before retiring. The couple lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Before the Olympics, Scott-Arruda said she liked her team’s  chances, saying, “I think we have really dynamic players in each position.  We will have to better our serving and passing but mainly minimize our unforced errors.”

The U.S. squad was rated eighth in serve-receive percentage while compiling a 4-1 record in pool play. Since then, the Americans have raised the level of their play and avenged their only loss with a shocking 3-0 semifinal win over Cuba.

They beat Italy for the first time in four years to advance to the semifinals at Capital Gymnasium and are seeking their first Olympic gold. The U.S. won silver in 1984 and bronze in 1992.

While Scott-Arruda has been a mainstay at middle blocker, Willoughby, a Napoleonville native and former Assumption High standout, has provided a spark off the bench.

Willoughby has played both in the middle and outside. She scored the final point against Cuba early Thursday on a powerful spike.

“I kept thinking, ‘You can’t tip the ball, you’ve got to hit the ball,’ ” Willoughby said. “It worked.”