Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng of the U.S. secured their third consecutive victory in pool play at the Paris Olympics, defeating Germany’s Svenja Müller and Cinja Tillmann 2-0 (21-18, 21-18) on Friday. Both teams advance to the Round of 16 starting Sunday, August 4.
Cheng led with 20 points, including 16 kills, a block, and three aces, while Hughes added seven kills, an ace, and seven digs. Despite Müller/Tillmann’s edge in kills (25-23) and blocks (4-1), the U.S. outperformed with four service aces and capitalized on their opponents’ 14 errors.
In other matches, Brazil’s Carol/Barbara triumphed over Netherlands’ Stam/Schoon 2-1 (16-21, 21-17, 19-17), securing the top spot in Pool E. Both teams advance to the Round of 16.