Just as quickly as things can fall together, they can fall apart.

After wins in the Olympic quarter and semifinals, the United States women’s volleyball national team was swept 3-0 by Italy in the gold medal match Sunday.

Led by former Bruin and head coach Karch Kiraly and assisted by UCLA women’s volleyball head coach Alfee Reft, the Americans’ gold-medal-defense tour ended in silver.

Before its eventual defeat in straight sets, the U.S. swept Poland in the quarterfinals, outscoring them 75-56 overall. Opposite hitter Annie Drews and outside hitter Avery Skinner led the way for Team USA, accumulating a combined 24 of Team USA’s 44 kills.

In a rematch of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medal game, U.S. and Brazil went the full five sets in the semifinals. The Americans won the first set 25-23 and the third 25-15, but the Brazilians responded each time, winning the second 25-18 and the fourth 25-23. In the decisive final set, Team USA walked away with a 15-11 win and a guaranteed top-two spot on the podium.

Drews and Skinner again recorded double-digit kills, with 17 and 15 respectively, but it was outside hitter Kathryn Plummer who topped the leaderboard with 23.

While the U.S. hadn’t lost a match since its pool-play opener against China, no team was hotter than Italy, having not lost a set – much less a match – since its pool-play opener against the Dominican Republic.

Team USA proved powerless to stop Italy’s win streak, which extended from 14 consecutive sets to 17 after beating the U.S.

Team USA fell 25-18, 25-20 and 25-17, depriving it of a consecutive gold medal. The American offense was stifled with Skinner, Drews and Plummer contributing just seven, five and two kills, respectively. Defensively, the Americans failed to record a single block as Italy’s opposite hitter Paola Ogechi Egonu wreaked havoc with a match-leading 18 kills and four blocks.

On the back of Egonu’s performance, Italy walked away with its first Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball as Team USA had to settle for second best. However, Kiraly has now earned a medal in each of the three Olympics he’s been appointed to the helm of the women’s team – previously winning bronze at the 2016 Rio Games.

U.S. women’s volleyball culture consultant – and a 10-time NCAA softball champion with UCLA – Sue Enquist received her third Olympic medal, previously winning gold with the U.S. softball team as a coach in 1996 and gold with Kiraly’s 2020 Olympic team.

Reft brings his first Olympic medal back to Westwood and will resume his head coaching duties with UCLA.

With the Olympic closing ceremonies wrapped up, the Bruins’ 2024 campaign begins Aug. 30 against Georgia Tech in Atlanta.