The United States emerged victorious against Japan in their final pool play match at the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s volleyball tournament, securing first place in Pool C. The Americans won 3-1 with set scores of 25-16, 25-18, 18-25, and 25-19. Despite Japan’s strong performance in the third set, the US team regained control to clinch the win.
With eight points from victories over Argentina, Germany, and Japan, the US topped the pool stage. Germany, having earned six points with a win over Argentina, also advanced to the elimination rounds. Japan, with four points and a set record of 6-7, secured a spot in the quarterfinals as one of the best third-placed teams.
Matt Anderson led the US with 16 points, supported by TJ DeFalco and Taylor Averill, each adding 14 points. For Japan, Yuji Nishida was the top scorer with 18 points, while Ran Takahashi and Tatsunori Otsuka contributed nine and six points respectively.
The final day of pool play on Saturday will set the stage for the quarterfinal matchups. Poland and Italy will face off at 17:00 local time (15:00 GMT) in Pool B to determine the top spot, while Serbia and Canada will compete for third place in Pool A at 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT), with neither team advancing to the quarterfinals.
