VTAW Make History

[img_assist|fid=1586|thumb=0|alt=Australian women triple blocking(Credit: FIVB)|class=image-legacy] As boring as it was, we were there as the Australian women's volleyball team made history today as the first Australian volleyball team to win a match at the Olympics.

...and it will probably not happen again in Australian women's volleyball for another 100 years.

The Kenyans were pumped up in front of a large Australian crowd, comfortably taking the first set. Dorcas Ndasaba (number 9) and Gladys Nasikanda (number 13) for Kenya had a great first set, pounding the ball past Australia's weak block.

The Australians regrouped though and by mid-way through the second set were putting together some decent volleyball of their own. In the end, Australia's superior height won them a scrappy match over the happless Kenyans.

The rest of the day's matches though were full of great volleyball, despite some lop-sided 3-0 scorelines. The US and Brasil showed great improvement from their first matches to overpower their opponents (Croatia and China respectively). The anticipation of the Brasilian defense was also impressive against a disappointing Chinese team. Plenty of long rallies to write down though for those of us taking match statistics.

[img_assist|fid=1589|thumb=0|alt=Brasil verses Australian women (credit: David Martin)|class=image-legacy]

Brasil verses Australian women - view from the Brasilian substitution box.
Australia actually won that point.

Today's women's matches followed on from what some people are saying was one of the best men's volleyball matches of all time last night between Italy and Yugoslavia. Both teams had match points but Italy eventually took out the fifth set, 22:20. With a large crowd in attendence, tensions between spectators boiled over after the match with punches being thrown and blood spilt in one section of the crowd.

All the volleyball match stats can be seen on the official Sydney 2000 web site at, olympics.com.