MILAN, Italy (Oct. 12, 2014) – Team USA made history on Sunday,  beating China 3-1 (27-25, 25-20, 16-25, 26-24) and winning the first world championship gold medal for the U.S. Women’s program at the FIVB World Championship at the Mediolanum Forum in Milan.

The U.S. Women had never before won gold at any of the three major international volleyball events: World Championship, World Cup or Olympic Games.

Kim Hill, who was discovered at the Women’s National Team’s annual open tryout in February 2013, was named the tournament “Best Spiker” and “Most Valuable Player.” She led the U.S. in the decisive title match with 20 points, going 19 on 31 attempts with only one fault. She also had 13 digs and 25 excellent receptions on 39 attempts.

“I feel ecstatic and happy and just cannot believe it is real,” Hill said. “The award was a surprise and I still cannot believe it either, it is just amazing. Tonight it is everything. Eating, drinking and we are just going to celebrate being together.”

Alisha Glass was named the tourney’s “Best Setter.” She had 36 running sets, 53 still sets and four faults.

“I can’t find the words,” Glass said. “I am incredibly proud of this team, of the USA Volleyball organization, everybody that played a part. It was such a team win. We did something that’s never been done. This is only the beginning. We’re going to get better and better.”

U.S. Head Coach Karch Kiraly became the fourth person to win a World Championship gold medal as both a player and a coach. He won as a player at the 1986 World Championship in Paris.

“We came here to make history and we made it,” Kiraly said. “It was a tough battle. I would like to congratulate Lang Ping and her team. They played a marvelous tournament. After we got a 2-0 lead we knew China would never give up. It was a battle to the end and they have some great young players, as do we. I hope that we will be playing against each other in the future. It is just good for the sport to have teams with such history performing at a high level.”

Captain and middle blocker Christa (Harmotto) Dietzen, who had knee surgery in December, dominated the net with 15 points and seven crucial blocks. She was not 100 percent in this tournament. She hadn’t played with the National Team since May. But Sunday, she and fellow Olympian Foluke Akinradewo, gave the U.S. a 14-9 advantage in blocks. Akinradewo scored 14, with 9 kills on 15 attempts, with three blocks and two aces. (Sunday was Dietzen’s birthday.)

Opposite Kelly Murphy scored 13, 11 of 39 attempts, with two blocks.

The three majors are the Olympic Games, the World Cup, and the World Championships, which began for women in 1952. The U.S. has earned two silvers (1967 and 2002) at Worlds and three at the Olympic Games (1984, 2006, 2010).

The day was full of more history. Kiraly won his first of three Olympic gold medals 30 years ago in Los Angeles as an indoor player. China’s coach, “Jenny” Lang Ping also won a gold medal in the 1984 Games as her team beat the United States for the Olympic crown. Lang Ping coached Team USA to a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

On the road to Sunday’s title match, this young U.S. squad with five players in their first or second season with the National Team, defeated Russia, the two-time defending World champion, twice, and Brazil, the two-time defending Olympic champion in the semifinals.

Posted on October 12, 2014 on www.teamusa.org by Charlie Snyder