ATHENS - The United States is poised to make a run at its first gold medal in women's volleyball, and China might be the biggest challenge.
Which made it a tough way to start the tournament.
Paced by the power of outside-hitting Hao Yang, the Chinese beat the Americans in four sets Saturday.
"One way or another, we've got to beat them sometime," said American hitter Logan Tom, who had a team-high 14 points.
China, the team chosen by many to win gold, was just a little too much for the United States, which has a promising mix of young and old players. China won 25-21, 23-25, 25-22, 25-18.
The United States beat China in three sets last month at the World Grand Prix, but the difference in this one was defense.
"We know that the American team are very strong blockers," captain Kun Feng said through an interpreter. "We are quite prepared for that. We are patient."
In a second set in which both teams were within two points of each other at all times, the U.S. took four of the last five points to pull even. Olympic rookie Ogonna Nnamani, a reserve outside hitter who was an All-American at Stanford, played extensively and had five of her eight kills in that set.
But the Chinese toughed out an intense third set.
"We did not find a way to turn things around," said U.S. coach Toshi Yoshida, whose team was unable to capitalize on a break just two points into the match.
China's best middle blocker, the 6-foot-5 Zhao Ruirui, limped off the court after reaggravating an injury to her right leg that kept her out of the World Grand Prix. She was later carried off on a gurney and taken to a local hospital for X-rays, which showed a stress fracture. Without Zhao in the World Grand Prix, China finished fifth and fell to third in the latest international rankings.
The U.S. team hasn't lost confidence. Each team plays the five opponents in its pool once, with the top four in each group advancing to the medal round.
"Personally, I think our team is fine," Tom said. "China's over, and we have to look at Germany."
That's the next opponent. The Germans surprised three-time defending gold medalist Cuba in five sets before Russia breezed by the Dominican Republic in three. In Pool A, Brazil beat Japan, host Greece defeated Kenya and Italy beat Korea - all in three sets.
