Huskers in Paris: Nebraska Trio and USA Volleyball Fall to China in Five Sets

Team USA was able to erase a 2-0 deficit but came up short in the fifth set to China. Nebraska's three former players all started the match, but hitting was a difficult task for the Americans.

Kaleb Henry | Jul 29, 2024

Jul 10, 2024; Long Beach, California, USA; Kelsey Robinson Cook of the USA passes the ball against the Netherlands during the USA Volleyball Cup at The Walter Pyramid. The USA defeated the Netherlands 3 -2 in a tuneup for the upcoming Paris Olympics. / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

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An opening-game loss for Team USA Volleyball.

The Americans stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to force a game five, but fell to China 3-2: 20-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-20, 13-15. China grabbed two points for the Pool A standings, while the US, by forcing a fifth set, earned one point.

Nebraska's trio of representatives on the team all got the start. Justine Wong-Orantes played all five sets at libero, leading Team USA with 17 digs.

Jordan Larson and Kelsey Robinson Cook were pulled for much of the middle sets. Larson notched four kills with a 0.167 hitting percentage while Robinson Cook added three kills on 0.077 hitting.

Team USA continues pool play July 31 against Serbia.

Watch a replay of the USA-China match on Peacock.

Full results for Huskers in Paris

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Published Jul 29, 2024

KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.