Three-Peat Complete: Sitting Team Wins 3rd Straight Paralympic Gold

PARIS, France (Sept. 7, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s Sitting Team will say au revoir to Paris with special souvenirs after winning a third straight Paralympic Games gold medal with a 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory over China on Saturday at North Paris Arena.

The Women’s Sitting Team (4-1) has medaled at every Paralympics since the discipline was introduced for women in 2004. China (4-1) took its third straight silver medal. The teams have played each other in the last five Paralympic finals.

“We know them, and they know us,” U.S. middle blocker Lora Webster said of the rivalry with China. “These are teams that fight tooth and nail and never think that anything is hopeless.”

Opposite Heather Erickson was named MVP and Best Attacker, awards she also won at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She led all players in Paris in scoring and digs.

Webster was named Best Blocker, finishing the tournament with 22. She was also named Best Blocker at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Kaleo Kanahele Maclay was named Best Setter, credited with 146 excellent sets. She was also named Best Setter at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

China led the match in kills (56-54) and aces (9-3). The U.S came up big in blocks (17-6) with middle blocker Lora Webster and outside hitter Monique Matthews finishing with five each.

“We brought our all. Heather (Erickson) was on fire. Katie (Holloway Bridge) was on fire,” Matthews said.

“It’s not one person. It’s not one point. It’s all of them put together and all of us put together.”

The U.S. scored on 24 China errors while giving up 17.

U.S. opposite Heather Erickson led all scorers with 28 points on 25 kills, two blocks and one ace. She finished the tournament with 96 points.

“Going into this gold medal match, I really just wanted to go have fun,” Erickson said. “I knew that they were going to bring their best and we were going to bring our best. I just wanted to enjoy every single moment and stay in that moment.”

Outside hitter Katie Holloway Bridge scored 15 points on 12 kills, two blocks and one ace.

Matthews finished with 11 points, five kills and an ace to go with her blocks. Middle Nicky Nieves totaled eight points on six kills and two blocks.

Setter Kaleo Kanahele Maclay added seven points on six kills and one block. Webster’s five points came all on her blocks.

Libero Bethany Zummo was credited with three digs and four successful receptions. Kanahele Maclay led in digs with eight and Erickson led in successful receptions with eight.

Emma Schieck played as a serving substitute.

The U.S. Women took an 18-14 lead in the first set. China pulled to within one at 18-17. The teams traded points until the U.S. lead was 21-20. The U.S. scored on an Erickson kill and Matthews block. China scored one more time before the U.S. won the set on straight attacks from Kanahele Maclay and Nieves.

China took a 6-0 lead in the second set. The U.S. stayed calm and tied the score at 7-7. The U.S. Women eventually took three-point leads at 18-15 and 21-18. China scored three straight points to tie it and reached set point first at 24-23 before winning on an ace.

The U.S. took a lead of 7-3 in the fourth set and increased it to 12-7 and 15-8. China pulled to within two at 17-15. The U.S. held its lead with kills by Matthews and Holloway Bridge. Leading 23-20, the U.S. scored the final two points on an error from China and a block by Nieves.

China led the fourth set 13-10. The U.S. tied it at 15-15. At 17-17, the U.S. scored four straight points to hold the lead. The U.S. reached match point at 24-20 on a kill from Holloway Bridge. China scored twice before the U.S. took the match on a kill by Holloway Bridge.

Paris Paralympics Hub | U.S. Women’s Sitting Team home

2024 U.S. Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team

No., Name, Pos., Height, Hometown, USAV Region
1 Lora Webster (MB, 5-11, Point Lookout, N.Y., Garden Empire)
2 Bethany Zummo (L, 5-3, Dublin, Calif., Northern California)
3 Lexi Shifflett-Patterson (S/L, 5-4, Waseca, Minn., North Country)
5 Katie Holloway Bridge (OH, 6-3, Lake Stevens, Wash., Puget Sound)
6 Heather Erickson (OPP, 6-0, Fayetteville, N.C., Carolina)
7C Monique Matthews (MB/OH, 6-0, Ardmore, Okla., Oklahoma)
8 Whitney Dosty (OH/OPP, 6-3, Tucson, Ariz., Arizona)
9 Tia Edwards (OH/MB, 5-7, Skiatook, Okla., Oklahoma)
10 Sydney Satchell (L, 5-2, Windsor, Conn., New England)
12 Emma Schieck (OH, 5-7, Statesville, N.C., Carolina)
14 Kaleo Kanahele Maclay (S, 5-6, Oklahoma City, Okla., Oklahoma)
16 Nicky Nieves (MB/OH, 5-10, Kissimmee, Fla., Florida)

Alternates
18 Courtney Baker (OH, 5-9, Crofton, Ky., Pioneer)
22 MaKenzie Franklin (OH, 6-0, Red Wing, Minn., North Country)
24 Raelene Elam (OH, 6-1, St. George, Utah, Northern California)

Head Coach: Bill Hamiter
Assistant Coaches: Leo Filho, Michelle Goodall
Team Leader: Patrick Lawrence
Athletic Trainer: Kat King
Performance Analyst: Jeffery Hicks
Team Psychologist: Adam O’Neil
Athletic Performance Coach: Bobby Moore
Dietitian: Jacque Scaramella

U.S. Women’s Schedule for the 2024 Paralympic Games

Aug. 30: China def. USA, 3-1 (21-25, 25-20, 25-18, 26-24)
Sept. 1: USA def. France, 3-0 (25-5, 25-1, 25-5)
Sept. 3: USA def. Italy, 3-0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-15)
Sept. 5: Semis, USA def Brazil, 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-14, 25-15)
Sept. 7: Gold Medal Match, USA def China, 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22)