Beach Volleyball - Women's Final - August 2, 1998
| 12:00pm - 4:00pm | Bronze Medal Game - 3rd vs 4th Place |
| Gold Medal Game - 1st vs 2nd Place |
| Women's Bronze Medal Match - August 2,1998 | ||
| Cty | Team | Score |
| USA | Holly McPeak | 12 12 |
| Lisa Arce | ||
| vs. |
|
|
| ITA | Laura Bruschini | |
| Annamaria Solazzi | 11 3 |
|
General Quotes
Bronze Medal Match:
About the match:
Laura Bruschini (ITA):
"For me we lost because I played bad the second set. I didn't make one side-out against the other team. I (spent all of my) energy in the first set, physical and psychological energy."
On whether the heat was a factor:
Laura Bruschini (ITA):
"I think so because I was very, very tired at the end of the first set. I was very, very tired, so I lost (my) concentration. It was very hard for me today."
About the match:
Lisa Arce (USA):
"I was fired up to get on that podium today. I really wanted to win. I was trying to be real aggressive and swinging. They're not a big team, a blocking team. They were running down a lot of defensive balls. We can't go up weak like that. A lot of easy shots, they were running and digging, so I decided if they're going to touch them, I'm going to it make it bounce off of them instead of them digging it. So I just swung a lot more, and it seemed to work better against this team."
Holly McPeak (USA):
"We're making errors that we don't normally make. It's not that we're not focused, it's not that we're not trying. I'm not sure what it is. Lisa and I need to sit down and try to figure that out. Sometimes you think too much, sometimes you've just got to go out and take care of business on the court."
On winning the bronze medal:
Lisa Arce (USA):
"Any time you play the top eight teams in the world... granted there's two Brazilian teams (not in this tournament) that are amongst the top teams, too. It's still a tough format. We had to play three tough games coming into the semi. We played a hard-fought semifinal and had to come through. Five days of volleyball in a row was good. We're used to playing more in one day, but not with this intensity and high level. I think coming away with the bronze was excellent. We definitely wanted the gold, but we're on the podium."
On hitting to Bruschini:
Holly McPeak (USA):
"You can break somebody down, especially a team like that who's playing out of their minds. They're playing the best volleyball that I've seen, so for them to play that great and lose in a heartbreak game (12-11 U.S. win in game one)... I think that really hurts them. I think Laura (Bruschini) was really tired so we thought we'd keep the ball at her and see what happened. She looked very tired, and Lisa said 'Let's get the ball to her every time.'"
| Women's Gold Medal Match - August 2,1998 | ||
| Cty | Team | Score |
| BRA | Adriana Behar | 12 12 |
| Shelda Bede | ||
| vs. |
|
|
| AUS | Pauline Manser | |
| Kerri Pottharst | 9 5 |
|
General Quotes
Gold Medal Match:
(Brazil comments interpreted by USA player Holly McPeak)
About the match:
Adriana Behar (BRA):
"We are so happy. We know that we had a lot of struggles, and also in this final Shelda (Bede) has an injured tendon (in her knee). I know she had to have a lot of concentration and power to play. She (Shelda) served so well. For me, this final, I want to thank Shelda because she gave us the victory."
Why Brazil is so tough to beat:
Shelda Bede (BRA):
"We try to serve tough and we try to create errors on other teams and not make errors ourselves. Volleyball is a game of errors. Whoever makes the fewest mistakes wins."
On Bede's injured knee:
Shelda Bede (BRA):
"The tendon behind my knee is inflamed. Because I didn't have a lot of time to treat it, it hurt more as the match progressed."
On playing in New York:
Adriana Behar (BRA):
"We felt so great because it's our first time in New York. To play in the Goodwill Games was a goal we had in our minds. To play here and to win is the best thing that could happen in our lives."
On why Brazil's serving is so good:
Shelda Bede (BRA):
"We train every day, one hour, on serving. I don't know what other teams do, but we put a lot of stress on (practicing) our serves."
On Brazil's dominance:
Adriana Behar (BRA):
"We train very hard. We lift (weights) and work out very hard. When it comes time for a game, it's actually easier. We have adrenaline and other things going in our favor. We feel (if) we do it every day in training, we know we can do it out there on the court."
About past matches against Brazil and Brazil's dominance:
Kerri Pottharst (AUS):
"We haven't won one against them, and I don't think they've lost a game this year except (against) their countrywomen. So they're definitely dominating the tour."
"There's not very many teams that can combat their serves. The team that will beat them will be the ones that can side out and side out consistently under pressure and just be more patient at the end. Shelda and Adriana at times in this match (were) really shaky, and we didn't really take advantage of that because our siding-out was really shaky too."
About finishing second:
Pauline Manser (AUS):
"We always want to win but I think because we've played (them) so many times this year and defensively been able to get points off them very well... It all comes back to our siding-out. Through the week our siding-out got better and better, (so) we had high expectations and it didn't happen this time. But I think we're getting better each time."
About Shelda Bede's injury:
Kerri Pottharst (AUS):
"I've seen Shelda have injuries before and it looks like she's ready to be taken off on a stretcher. But she plays like a little demon, so it didn't make me think they were any less strong. I knew that she would come out fighting even harder, but obviously we still served (to) her because that was our plan. I'm not sure it slowed her down. She played great."
About meeting Ted Turner at the medal ceremony:
Kerri Pottharst (AUS):
"I just thanked him for having us, 'cause I know that he puts in a lot of money for the Goodwill Games. I've read about it a little bit. Coming in here I didn't really know anything about the Goodwill Games but since I've been here I've learned about it, and it's pretty awesome."