Allgemeines » ring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Mouth agape, Matt Anderson yelled with every ounce of his being to celebrate big hit after pounding big hit. Erik Shoji chased down ball after ball, diving into the U.S. bench to keep one key point alive.When the mens volleyball team had no choice but to fight to remain in the tournament a little longer, the Americans delivered against the big beast that is Brazil -- a team playing on its home turf.After two forgettable preliminary matches and facing the real possibility of Olympic elimination, Anderson and the Americans stunned Brazil in four sets Thursday night to deny the previously unbeaten host nation a quarterfinal berth.Anderson led the charge for a roster packed with Olympic first-timers, but this inspired performance required every player and every play.We play our best volleyball when our backs are against the wall, U.S. captain David Lee said. We proved it again tonight. ... This was probably the hardest weve fought, I think our team has ever fought. Thats some of the best defense Ive ever seen.Anderson brought it with his jump serve, big hitting and reliable passing in a 25-20, 25-23, 20-25, 25-20 victory that left the raucous, flag-waving, pro-Brazil crowd at Maracanazinho arena in utter disbelief.When youre playing against an entire crowd thats against you, 95 percent of the crowds against you, if you can get them to be quiet, its a hell of a feeling, Anderson said.After being swept by Canada in the opener, the Americans held a players-only meeting, then other sessions with the coaches, even some individual sit-downs -- everybody determined to get it right before it was too late.Were like a family, so theres nothing that cant be said between each other. We hear the message, not the words, Anderson said. Its a huge lesson in knowing that we can come back, even against one of the best teams, if not the best team in this tournament.The U.S. snapped a four-match losing streak to Brazil in international competition. When Brazils kill attempt sailed long on match point, the Americans cheered their first victory at the Rio de Janeiro Games -- and one that will be remembered by a captivated U.S. crowd back home that weighed in on social media with shoutouts.Anderson, who already had scored 20 points early in the fourth set, set the tone from the opening serve of the late-night match beginning at nearly 11 p.m. local time.The 6-foot-8 outside hitter pumped his tattooed arms and yelled out, Yeah!Theres like this look that he gets and some of the celebrations, Shoji said. I cant really describe it, but you just know if you feed him the ball and he gets a kill, he starts rolling.Shoji saved two balls with lunging, one-handed digs to keep a point alive and put the Americans ahead 6-2 in the fourth -- the back-row specialist diving into the U.S. bench and over the end line during the sequence.During that back-and-forth first set, balls were coming across the net so hard that one kill slammed into Shojis chest and sent the U.S. libero to the floor.Brazil had dropped only two sets over its first two matches.Earlier Thursday, Argentina and Poland played the longest set so far in the Olympic tournament, with the Poles outlasting the Argentines 37-35 in a back-and-forth third set on the way to a sweep and quarterfinal berth.Italy, playing without injured captain Emanuele Birarelli because of a sprained right ankle, topped Mexico in straight sets, 25-17, 25-13, 25-17. Air Force 1 Mid Australia . Nine days before the opening ceremony, organizing committee chief Dmitry Chernyshenko said Wednesday that Sochi is "fully ready" and will deliver safe, friendly and well-run games that defy the grim reports that have overshadowed preparations. Authentic Nike Air Force 1 Wholesale . The giant slalom world champion slipped during her first run in the morning, landing on her back and then twisting forward before getting her leg caught in the protective material on the side of the slope. http://www.airforce1shoesaustralia.com/nike-react-australia/react-element-87.html . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. Air Force 1 High Sale . President of baseball operations Larry Beinfest was fired Friday after 12 years with the Marlins. The move came as the team neared the end of its third consecutive last-place season in the NL East. Air Force 1 Shoes Australia . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Great Britains Sophie Hitchon has won a bronze medal in the womens hammer at the Rio Olympics.Hitchon, 25, set a new British record in the hammer with a distance of 74.54m on her final attempt.Her throw boosted her from fifth to third, earning Great Britain their 39th medal of the games so far.Polands Anita WWlodarczyk, who is also the world champion, threw a new world record of 82.dddddddddddd29m on her third attempt to win gold. Chinas Zhang Wenxiu took the silver medal with 76.75m. ' ' '