Article courtesy of USA Deaf Volleyball
TOMIGUSUKU CITY, OKINAWA, JAPAN – The Women’s team battled for the last time against Japan for the Gold Medal. We were able to keep up for most of the game and actually won a set, but it was evident that Japan’s level of play was on a different level. We were not able to get our passing game together which consequently couldn’t get our offense rolling. The Women’s lost 1-3 (17-25, 12-25, 26-24, 16-25) and we received the Silver Medal, a big accomplishment that our Women definitely will take as a lesson learned. USADVB is very proud of the hard work the Women’s team has put in since last May and hats off to Japan for winning the Gold Medal!
After the Women’s match, the Men’s took the court to play for the Bronze against Ukraine. We started the match with a great zeal and were able to go head to head with such a strong, veteran team in Ukraine. Unfortunately, they were able to clamp down and win the first set 22-25. After that, Ukraine dominated the entire match rhythm and we were not able to respond. We dropped the last two sets 15-25 and 14-25. Both teams have come a long way since tryouts in July 2023 and the progress both teams have made in this short time is incredible and we are very proud of them. We look forward to seeing their continued growth and future success!
After the matches concluded with Turkey defeating Italy for the Gold Medal, we had a medal ceremony to recognize all medal winners and individual awards. Our teams enjoyed meeting and interacting with other countries. Thank you for all of the support, reading all of our recaps, and following us on this incredible journey! USADVB gives our congratulations to all countries who participated, and many thanks to Japan, the Organizing Committee, and ICSD for a successful World Deaf Volleyball Championships and we look forward to the next one in 2027!