I'm sure every Olympian will tell you they went to the Games to win gold. But if you watched Team USA's volleyball athletes at the 2016 Olympics, you know that--despite not bringing home any gold this year--our Olympians got gritty, dug deep, and made it ever so sweet to be a USA volleyball fan.

With women's high school and college seasons upon us, here are six ways you can channel your Olympic grit this year.

1. Gritty champions always rise.

The mental fortitude it takes to lose your gold-medal opportunity in the semifinal but still come back and battle for the bronze is impressive. You experienced the worst loss of your tournament, but you only have 24 hours to get it together if you want to place on the podium at all.

Watching Kerri Walsh Jennings and April Ross lose because of passing and service errors in the semifinal match to Brazil's Agatha Bednarczuk and Barbara Seixas was brutal, but seeing them rise up in set two of their bronze medal match against Talita Antunes and Larissa Franca is what sports fans live for. There was a visceral shift in the middle of the second set when you could see Kerri and April going for the win in that match. Champions may get defeated, but they always rise.

The bronze medal match is the gnarliest match I've ever played in in my career, because you either go home with a beautiful medal or you get nothing.

-- Kerri Walsh Jennings, beach volleyball bronze medalist

2. Gritty coaches are important.

The coaching staff of our U.S. Olympic teams reads like a who's who of the volleyball world. With national team members, former Olympians, and the GOAT, Karch Kiraly, the coaches played as big of a role as ever in getting the most out of their teams. When a player trusts the coach, they trust the program.

I'm incredibly proud of how, within hours, they were preparing, carrying that heartbreak, but preparing to be good and to finish strong. I also never had any understanding of how good a bronze medal could feel, and it feels incredible right now.

-- Karch Kiraly, USWNT head coach

3. Gritty leaders need gritty teammates.

Did everyone see April Ross hit the switch in the second set of the bronze-medal match? Sometimes those who lead with quiet strength need to get loud, and that was certainly the case for Ross in this match. Late in the second set, her defense got really loud, and that opened up a space for Walsh Jennings to get loud on blocking in return. They got on a roll and never got off. When one of your teammates is clearly struggling, you could be the difference in the match--dig deep and turn that momentum around!

I can't believe how hard it was to mentally and emotionally come back from that loss and how hard we had to fight in the match to win the bronze.

-- April Ross, beach volleyball bronze medalist

4. Gritty veterans have a different perspective.

Reid Priddy, anyone? Or should we say Reid Gritty? Having spent most of the tournament on the bench, the 38-year-old Olympic veteran put on a clinic in the bronze-medal match by scoring 18 points for the U.S. while playing in his last indoor volleyball match. You might be a senior, and you might not get much playing time, but when it's your turn to go in, the perspective and experience you have is incredible valuable. Plus, you may just have the freshest legs in the gym, so get in there and get it done.

Even before this game, I came to terms with the fact the relationships, the experiences, were worth it the last two years--all the growth, all the hardships.

-- Reid Priddy, USMNT outside hitter

5. Grit is in the eyes.

If you watch athletes closely, you will start to notice they all have their own nuances; some get fidgety, mess with their uniform or adjust a piece of equipment a hundred little times. But the tell is always in their eyes. Once they shift from fear to intensity, there is nothing left but to grind it out and get gritty. Walsh Jennings, Ross and both the indoor men's and women's teams had the gritty fire it took to close out their Olympic tournament with bronze medals.

We have this fighter attitude that no one can get us down. I was so proud of how we battled back. Just one point at a time; that's what we kept saying, 'Just one point at a time.'

-- Kim Hill, USWNT outside hitter

6. Grit has a good memory.

You know how to play; you know how to win. Grit is taking it one point at a time, and playing the sport you know how to play without worrying about the outcome. Sometimes, you just need to remember why you're in the gym in the first place.

Keep playing volleyball. It doesn't matter what happens here. Keep playing volleyball.

-- John Speraw, USMNT head coach