Cal Volleyball alum Carli Lloyd wins Bronze with USA Women’s Volleyball

After years of toiling around on the USA B-Teams in International competitions, 1st time Olympian Carli Lloyd will leave Rio 2016 games with a medal. Although top seed and top ranked USA was hoping for a better result, the path to this Bronze medal is certainly hard earned.

Undefeated in group play, USA was upset in 5 sets by Serbia in the semifinal. Against a resilient Netherlands squad who the USA needed 5 sets to beat in group play, USA tough out a 4 set victory, 25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19 to claim the Bronze. Serbia will play China for the Gold later today.

Playing as the backup setter on the team, Carli Lloyd saw some short runs here and there in games throughout this Olympic tournament in relief of Alisha Glass. Head Coach Karch Kiraly actually use the full 6 substitutions per game often to let Lloyd play 3 rotations per game to remain sharp. USA actually carries a 3rd setter in former Washington Huskies in Courtney Thompson, who occasionally gets used as a serving specialist but cuts into Lloyd getting into matches.

Lloyd, arguably the best player to ever play for Cal Volleyball and a CGB Hall of Famer, is the first Cal Indoor Volleyball Olympian (Holly McPeak has been a 3x Beach Volleyball Olympian). Lloyd has been playing professional volleyball in Italy since her time at Cal. She overcame some recent injury woes to get to live out her childhood dream of being an Olympian.

Congrats to Carli and Team USA.

Calympians Medal Count:

(Through Women’s Volleyball Bronze match)

By Individuals:

13 Golds, 4 Silvers, 5 Bronze

By Events:

7 Golds, 3 Silvers, 5 Bronze

Dana Vollmer (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay, Bronze from Women’s 100 Fly, Gold from Women’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Abbey Weitzeil (USA) - Silver from Women’s 4x100 Free Relay, Gold from Women’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Nathan Adrian (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay, Bronze from Men’s 100 Free, Bronze from Men’s 50 Free, Gold from Men’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Anthony Ervin (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Free Relay, Gold from Men’s 50 Free

Kathleen Baker (USA) - Silver from Women’s 100 Back, Gold from Women’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Ryan Murphy (USA) - Gold from Men’s 100 Back, Gold from Men’s 200 Back, Gold from Men’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Josh Prenot (USA) - Silver from Men’s 200 Breast

Missy Franklin (USA) - Gold from Women’s 4x200 Free Relay

Cierra Runge (USA)* - Gold from Women’s 4x200 Free Relay

Olivier Siegelaar (Netherlands) - Bronze from Men’s Eight

Tom Shields (USA) - Gold from Men’s 4x100 Medley Relay

Carli Lloyd (USA) - Bronze from Women’s Indoor Volleyball

*Runge is not one of the 50 Calympians on the Cal Athletics list, so our Calympian medal count may differ from their

GO BEARS!