Kelly Murphy and Team USA head into the Olympic quarterfinals Tuesday undefeated in Olympic Games play.
Murphy, USA Cruise Through Group Play Undefeated, Cruz’s Historic Run Closes
Sunday, August 14, 2016 | Volleyball, Olympics
Team USA advanced to quarterfinals as the top seed in Group B, while Puerto Rico's run at the Olympic Games came to a close.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- With the win over China on the final day of preliminary play Sunday, Gator Great Kelly Murphy and the Americans clinched the top spot in Pool B and will take on Japan (the fourth seed in Pool A) in the quarterfinals Tuesday at 1 p.m.
Team USA defeated China 3-1 (22-25, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19) to move through pool play in Rio undefeated with wins against Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Serbia, Italy and then the Chinese to cap it all off Sunday.
China controlled set one and took advantage of a number of USA service errors to take a 1-0 lead, 25-22. USA went on to win the next three for the 3-1 victory. Murphy put up 13 points towards Team USA's efforts: 11 kills and two service aces.
For Team USA, the Gold Medal dream lives on. Quarterfinals start Tuesday at the Maracanãzinho.
While Puerto Rico's run at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio came to an end Sunday against Italy, it was an historic benchmark in the country's progression of the sport of volleyball, guided by the Gators' own veteran Aury Cruz. The 34-year-old is expected to retire from the Puerto Rico National Team following the Olympics, but was a key cog in Puerto Rico's first Olympic Games berth. What a way to go out.
Sunday, Cruz contributed four points: three kills and one block in Puerto Rico's final Olympic match against the Italians -- who won their first match in Rio. The week started with a match up against Team USA and fellow Gator Great Kelly Murphy Aug. 6, while Puerto Rico also squared off with Serbia, China, the Netherlands and Italy in Group B pool play.
Murphy and Cruz made history as the first two Florida volleyball indoor Olympians in program history. They're among a staggering 30 University of Florida athletes competing in Rio, the most in the SEC.
Every volleyball match in the 2016 Olympic Games will live stream online via NBC Olympics. Team USA will be live on NBC every match of the Olympic Games.
VOLLEYBALL NOTABLES
Team USA defeated China 3-1 (22-25, 25-27, 25-19, 25-19) to move through pool play in Rio undefeated with wins against Puerto Rico, Netherlands, Serbia, Italy and then the Chinese to cap it all off Sunday.
China controlled set one and took advantage of a number of USA service errors to take a 1-0 lead, 25-22. USA went on to win the next three for the 3-1 victory. Murphy put up 13 points towards Team USA's efforts: 11 kills and two service aces.
For Team USA, the Gold Medal dream lives on. Quarterfinals start Tuesday at the Maracanãzinho.
While Puerto Rico's run at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio came to an end Sunday against Italy, it was an historic benchmark in the country's progression of the sport of volleyball, guided by the Gators' own veteran Aury Cruz. The 34-year-old is expected to retire from the Puerto Rico National Team following the Olympics, but was a key cog in Puerto Rico's first Olympic Games berth. What a way to go out.
Sunday, Cruz contributed four points: three kills and one block in Puerto Rico's final Olympic match against the Italians -- who won their first match in Rio. The week started with a match up against Team USA and fellow Gator Great Kelly Murphy Aug. 6, while Puerto Rico also squared off with Serbia, China, the Netherlands and Italy in Group B pool play.
Murphy and Cruz made history as the first two Florida volleyball indoor Olympians in program history. They're among a staggering 30 University of Florida athletes competing in Rio, the most in the SEC.
Every volleyball match in the 2016 Olympic Games will live stream online via NBC Olympics. Team USA will be live on NBC every match of the Olympic Games.
VOLLEYBALL NOTABLES
- Both Cruz and Murphy will play every other day in group play beginning Aug 6: Aug. 8, Aug. 10, Aug. 12 and Aug. 14 before the Olympic Quarterfinals get started August 16. Both Team USA and Puerto Rico are in Group B through pool play
- On July 12, four-time Gator All-American Kelly Murphy reached the pinnacle of her career with the USA National Team when she was one of two opposites and just 12 players named to the USA Volleyball Olympic Roster. Murphy was a key cog as Team USA won the 2014 World Championship. She scored a team-high 157 points then and most recently guided USA to a silver medal at the FIVB Grand Prix
- Cruz, the 34-year-old three-time All-American Gator Great on the brink of retiring from the Puerto Rican National Team, guided Puerto Rico to its first EVER Olympic berth and will play on the world's biggest stage in Rio before hanging up her jersey after 18 years with her National Team
2016 OLYMPIC GAMES VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE & RESULTS | NBC Olympics TV Listings | NBC Olympics Volleyball
| DATE | GATOR | OPPONENT | TIME (ET) RESULT |
TELEVISION COVERAGE SCORE |
| Aug. 6 | Kelly Murphy (USA) | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | W, 3-0 | (25-17, 25-22, 25-17) 13 kills, 1 block, 14 points |
| Aug. 6 | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | Kelly Murphy (USA) | L, 3-0 | (17-25, 22-25, 17-25) Starter: 8 kills, 8 points |
| Aug. 8 | Kelly Murphy (USA) | Netherlands | W, 3-2 | (18-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-20, 15-8) Starter: 15 kills, 3 blocks, 18 points |
| Aug. 8 | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | Serbia | L, 3-0 | (27-29, 18-25, 20-25) Starter: 1 service ace, 8 kills, 9 points |
| Aug. 10 | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | China | L, 3-0 | (20-25, 17-25, 18-25) Starter: 9 kills, 9 points |
| Aug. 10 | Kelly Murphy (USA) | Serbia | W, 3-1 | (25-17, 21-25, 25-18, 25-19) Starter: 6 kills, 6 points |
| Aug. 12 | Kelly Murphy (USA) | Italy | W, 3-1 | (25-22, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20) Starter: 5 kills, 1 block, 6 points |
| Aug. 12 | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | Netherlands | L, 3-0 | (14-25, 22-25, 16-25) Starter: 1 service ace, 5 kills, 6 points |
| Aug. 14 | Aury Cruz (Puerto Rico) | Italy | L, 3-0 | (14-25, 13-25, 22-25) Starter: 3 kills, 1 block, 4 points |
| Aug. 14 | Kelly Murphy (USA) | China | W, 3-1 | (22-25, 25-17, 25-19, 25-19) Starter: 11 kills, 2 service aces, 13 points |
| Aug. 16 | Quarterfinals | |||
| Aug. 18 | Semifinals | |||
| Aug. 20 | Medal Matches | |||
FOLLOW VOLLEYBALL AT THE OLYMPIC GAMES
- Kelly Murphy + Gators (schedules, rosters & news)
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- www.GatorsAlways.com (photos, videos & more for our 30 Gators at the Games)
- NBC Olympics TV Listings
- NBC Olympics Volleyball
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