Nick Lucena dives for the ball in the men's quarterfinal match against Russia on Aug. 5, 2017 in Vienna, Austria.
Six of the eight U.S. athletes playing in this week’s FIVB World Tour Finals were also Olympic teammates at the Olympic Games Rio 2016.
The four U.S. teams fill the maximum allotment allowed a single nation in the World Tour Finals, which began Wednesday in Hamburg, Germany. Among them are world championship silver medalists April Ross and Lauren Fendrick, both 2016 Olympians, and three-time Olympian Phil Dalhausser and 2016 Olympian Nick Lucena on the men’s side. Dalhausser and Lucena finished fifth at worlds.
Other U.S. teams in the tournament are 2016 Olympian Casey Patterson and Theo Brunner on the men’s side, and 2016 Olympian Brooke Sweat and Summer Ross on the women’s side.
The women’s championship match is Saturday, followed by the men’s final on Sunday.
The tournament features 12 women’s teams and 12 men’s teams. All teams advanced into the single-elimination bracket after pool play.
Paul D. Bowker is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.