Volleyball

LONDON - Defending Olympic beach volleyball gold medalists Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser were unceremoniously eliminated by a seemingly overmatched Italian team on Friday. Paolo Nicolai and Daniele Lupo of Italy were in command most of the match, winning, 21-17, 21-19. Rogers and Dalhausser fell behind, 12-7 in the second set before tying the score, 19-19, but lost the next two points. "It's a little bit different when you win," Dalhausser said. "It takes about a month to sink in. When you lose, it smacks you right in the face the second the ball hits the sand.

LONDON — The ball, thrown by Brazilian setter Sergio Santos, sailed high and long, finally settling softly into the crowd of jubilant fans sitting in his country's colors and flags near the team's bench. Brazil had merely won the first set Thursday night at Earls Court. And the U.S. men's volleyball team took note — sort of. PHOTOS: London Olympics — Day 6 "We let them do what they do, and we do what we do," setter Donald Suxho said. Added Reid Priddy: "I love playing Brazil.

LONDON -- In its 100-plus years as an entertainment arena, the aging but revered Earls Court served as the site of several events at the 1948 Olympics. The U.S. women's volleyball team will fetch the latest piece of history in the old domain if it keeps playing this way. The U.S. beat China here Wednesday in preliminary play, 26-24, 25-16, 31-29, another productive step toward its first gold medal after a handful of almosts and so-closes since the sport's Olympic debut in 1964.

LONDON -- The U.S. has never won a gold medal in women's indoor volleyball, a long line of almosts and so-closes since the sport debuted in the 1964 Olympics. There was a silver in 1984 and again in 2008, but that's about it. There's still an eternity left in the London Olympics, the medal matches not taking place until Aug. 11, but the U.S. looks as close as ever to finally breaking through. Destinee Hooker had 17 kills as the U.S. beat China, 26-24, 25-16, 31-29, Wednesday at Earls Court to improve to 3-0 in the tournament.

LONDON -- We interrupt the U.S. men's volleyball medal quest, which continued Tuesday at Earls Court with a straight-sets victory over Germany, for some Philosophy 101. “The temptation is to go big picture when you need to stay on the task at hand,” three-time Olympian Reid Priddy said. “When you go to the Olympic Games, you learn the rhythm and cadence of this tournament and how important it is to go one play, one point, one opponent at a time.” Such coach-speak from players usually makes coaches swoon, but U.S. leader Alan Knipe wouldn't even take credit for any ownership following the tidy, 89-minute victory of 25-23, 25-16 and 25-20.

The Dodgers' series opener against the Arizona Diamondbacks wasn't the only game that was on backup catcher Matt Treanor's mind Monday. As his teammates dressed in the clubhouse, Treanor sat in front of his locker, staring at a computer. This is how Treanor is following his wife, beach volleyball star Misty May-Treanor , as she tries to win her third consecutive Olympic gold medal in London. May-Treanor and partner Kerri Walsh Jennings beat a Czech team, 21-14, 21-19.