Two Devastating Semifinal Losses for USA Women

Fans of USA's volleyball teams have suffered yet another semifinal heartbreak. Serbia has upset the USA women's indoor volleyball team to end the team's hunt for gold in five sets (20-25, 25-17, 25-21, 16-25, 15-13).

USA won the first set, but partway through the second star middle blocker Foluke Akinradewo left the court due to a knee injury. It was in that second set that cracks began to show in Team USA's game. Serbia excelled, relying on big swings from Brankica Mihajlovic and 19-year-old phenom Tijana Bošković to tie the match at one set a piece.

In the third, Serbia stayed up while the USA continued to scramble. In the fourth, however, the top-ranked Americans got their game back. Karsta Lowe, who joined the match as a sub for Kelly Murphy, began swinging away and USA began to slow down Bošković and Mihajlovic at the net.

The fifth and deciding set was an all-out battle. The USA led 12-10, but then Serbia went on a three-point run to take the lead 13-12. A missed Serbia serve gave the reigning silver medalists hope, but middle blocker Rachael Adams returned the favor, serving into the net to give her opponents match point. A kill out of the back row sent Serbia to the gold-medal match and the USA to the bronze.

China and the Netherlands will play at 9:15 p.m. ET this evening in the second semifinal of the 2016 Olympics.