US women’s volleyball led by three Bruins advance to Olympic knockout stage
Former UCLA women’s volleyball outside/opposite hitter Iman Ndiaye reaches for a ball at Pauley Pavillion. (Brandon Morquecho/Daily Bruin senior staff)
By Kai Dizon
Aug. 5, 2024 4:14 p.m.
UCLA is under a month away from its first Big Ten women’s volleyball season.
But three Bruins of the past and one present took to the hardwood early, in Paris for Olympic women’s volleyball preliminary rounds from July 29 to Aug. 4.
Less than two months after graduation, former UCLA women’s volleyball outside/opposite hitter Iman Ndiaye made her Olympic debut for France.
The French struggled in preliminary rounds, getting swept in all three matches, and were outscored 233-183 overall. But Ndiaye managed to record a kill in each match despite limited playing time. The 2023 All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention’s best game came against China on Thursday, recording a kill, block and ace. However, the former Bruin ace also accumulated four errors on the attack and one while blocking.
On Sunday, Ndiaye squared off against a team with a familiar face – UCLA coach Alfee Reft.
France’s third – and what would become its final – match in the Games came against the United States, led by UCLA alumnus – and four-time gold medalist – Karch Kiraly, Reft as an assistant coach and former UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist as the culture consultant.
Team USA unleashed a nail-biter 3-2 loss in its first match against China. After falling behind 2-0, the Americans stormed back to even the series at two apiece but ultimately lost the decisive fifth set 15-13.
Game 2 also went the distance but landed with the U.S. on top. The U.S. sprung out a 2-0 lead, only for Serbia to force a fifth set. The Americans won the set 17-15 to claim the duel, despite being overscored by one point overall.
In their match against France in the preliminary round, the Americans won the first two sets 29-27, 29-27 before capturing their second victory of the preliminary round with a 25-20 third-set win. Ndiaye recorded a kill as the French were eliminated at home.
Kiraly, Reft, Enquist and the rest of Team USA will face Poland on Aug. 6 in the quarterfinals.
Having won gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the Americans remain alive in their title defense campaign.
