Sara Hughes, Kelly Cheng win crazy point, notch three-set win to advance to Olympic quarterfinals
The USA duo of Sara Hughes and Kelly Cheng are on to the quarterfinals of Olympic volleyball after a win against Italy on Sunday. The pair won 15-12 in the third and final set to clinch the win after Cheng tapped the ball over the net on a big set up from Hughes off the serve.
That was the play that won them the game, but it was just one of several big ones for the Americans in the first set. Another came when the score was 9-4 as Hughes scored to increase the lead after several back and forth hits between the USA and Italy. Hughes finally hit the ball out of reach of her opponents to give the Americans a six-point cushion on their way to the win.
You can view both that play and the game-winning point below.
The USA and Italy split the first two sets to set the stage for a winner-take-all third. Hughes and Cheng wasted no time jumping out to an 11-5 lead. However, Italy battled back with four straight points of its own and refused to go out quietly.
The USA stopped the run with a score of its own to make it 14-11 and set up the match point. Although Italy would score once more, Cheng got the kill on the very next point to secure the victory.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Shedeur Sanders not drafted
Slide continues
- 2
10 Best Available Players
After Rounds 1-3 of NFL Draft
- 3
Picks by Conference
SEC, Big Ten continue to dominate Draft
- 4Hot
Jalen Milroe
Drafted before Shedeur Sanders
- 5Trending
Shedeur Sanders
Reportedly pranked by fake NFL team
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Former teammates at USC, Hughes and Cheng are now 4-0 in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Together they helped lead the Trojans to the NCAA beach volleyball championships in 2016 and 2017, including going 36-0 in 2016.
Hughes and Cheng were also teammates at the 2023 World Championships in Mexico, where they defeated reigning champions Eduarda Lisboa and Ana Patrícia Ramos of Brazil. Cheng also competed in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 with Sarah Sponcil but was eliminated in the round of 16.
Now she is just three more wins away from redeeming that loss alongside Hughes and taking home gold. It is the first Olympics appearance for Hughes. The pair will now get a day of rest before facing Switzerland’s Nina Brunner and Tanja Hüberli in the quarterfinals.