After their heroics yesterday, when they ousted Brazil, the world's top ranked side and double Olympic champions, the US were similarly pumped, motivated and effective as they outclassed their opponents in the first two sets before withstanding a Chinese comeback to edge clear in the fourth before a capacity crowd of 12,000. 

Wild celebrations took place on court after a victory that is hoped will help spark a growth in the sport's popularity in America. 

It was not only a first World Championship win for the US but a first major title in any form of the women's game, following defeats to Brazil in the last two Olympic finals at Beijing 2008 and London 2012. 

"We came here to make history and the US was due," said coach Karch Kiraly.

"I told the team it could happen and it did."

The match was fiercely contested but the United States always seemed to have the edge in the first two sets of the Women's World Volleyball Championship final against China ©AFP/Getty Images





The key point in the first set came at 19-19 when, in a magnificent exchange, both teams repelled attack after attack before a US smash was finally put away.

After an either harder smash the next point careered into the face of a Chinese player before flying off the court, the US had opened daylight.

China fought back to save four set balls but the US held on to eventually clinch the opener, 27-25.

In both semi-finals and then the bronze medal match, the team who won the first set has gone onto win overall and, so it proved again, as the US came on top in the crucial points again to win the second 25-20.

At that point they were on course for the first straight set World Championships final since Cuba beat China in 1988.

But the Chinese ground down their opponents to take third set 25-16. 

The Chinese led early in the fourth only for the US to fight back, clinching the set, the match and the gold medal, with a 26-24 victory to end a match that had lasted one hour and 55 minutes.

Brazil celebrate their victory in the bronze medal match over Italy ©Getty Images



Before all of this, there had been more disappointment for the home fans to endure in the bronze medal match as Brazil put aside their disappointment of losing to the US by beating Italy 3-2.

The Brazilians swept through the first two sets, 25-15, 25-13, before the Italians began a thrilling fightback.

With the crowd roaring on every point, and talismanic 6ft 7in tall attacker Valentina Diouf  leading the way, they won a tight third game 25-22 and then an even tighter fourth by the same margin, to take the encounter into a pulsating fifth set.

It may have been only a bronze medal match but, as the fifth set began, the tension was mounting only for Brazil to snuff out any prospect of a host nation podium finish by taking the decider 15-7.

"I think we saw two matches this evening," said Brazil coach Zé Roberto.

"We played well the first two sets with good defence, block and counter-attacks, [but] after this, we took some bad choices in side-out, Italy started to adjust the defence on the block."

"In the tiebreaker, we started to serve stronger - we never gave up, and we did it."

It was still Brazil's lowest finish since a seventh place in 2002 in Germany, although it was also their fourth best performance following silver medal performances in 1994, 2006 and 2010, as the wait for that elusive world title continues.

For Italy it marked their equal second best performance ever, bettered only by their victory in 2002.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
October 2014: Ruthless Chinese break Italian hearts at Volleyball Women's World Championship
October 2014: China and United States reach Volleyball Women's World Championship semi-finals
October 2014: First semi-finalists confirmed for Volleyball Women's World Championship
October 2014: Italy and Brazil open third round of Volleyball Women's World Championship with straight sets wins
October 2014: Russia prevail against Serbia to complete third round line-up at Volleyball Women's World Championship