Last Updated on Aug 23, 2021 12:45 PM
Venue: Ariake Arena
SER-W vs USA-W Dream11 Prediction: Serbia and the USA will be starting off the semi-final clashes of Women’s Volleyball in Tokyo in what is sure to be a pulsating encounter. Both teams finished with a similar record in their Pools, as Serbia finished behind Brazil in Pool A while USA topped a highlycontested Pool B. Serbia then proceeded to dominate Italy in straight sets to progress comfortably to the semifinals.
USA had to deal with fellow North American side Dominican Republic, with two of their starters Jordan Thompson and Jordyn Poulter sidelined through injury. Their depth came into play and they persevered in straight sets to set up this mouth-watering clash.
Tijana Boskovic has been nothing short of phenomenal this Olympics. The Serbian star has scored 140 total points in 6 matches at a rate of 23.33 points per game. She even showed up big time in the quarters, scoring 21 attack points and 3 block points to dominate Paola Egonu and the Italians in straight sets.
Milena Rasic’s blocker position makes her a key differential piece to have in the squad.Rasic is the second leading scorer for Serbia, scoring 52 total points. This includes 33attack points as well as a brilliant 15 block points.
Michelle Bartsch-Hackley is the defacto leader of the American offense with JordanThompson potentially sidelined due to injury. The 31-year-old is the second-highest scorerfor her team, having scored 61 attack points and 68 total points in the 6 matches so far.She scored 12 attack points against the Dominican Republic as team USA cruised to astellar straight-set victory.
Jordan Thompson could still be a possibility to return against Serbia as coach Kiraly mentioned that she was recovering faster than expected. The American has scored 78 total points in just 5 matches so far but having her in the team is a huge gamble. Andrea Drews filled in for Thompson brilliantly, scoring 21 attack points to shoulder much of the scoring load, while her role might get diminished with Thompson’s possible return, her form could warrant giving Thompson an extended recovery period. An interesting conundrum awaits.
1. Tijana Boskovic: The Serbian attacker leads all players in points scored in the Olympics, notching 140 points which is 14 more than her closest competitor. Shecarries the Serbian offense and it is a safe bet to choose her as captain.
2. Michelle Bartsch-Hackley: Jordan Thompson’s questionable status makes BartschHackley the immediate next-best choice for the captaincy. Although Drews did much better against the Dominican Republic, Michelle’s tournament experience gives her the nod.
3. Jordan Thompson: For people wanting to take risks, Thompson is still a live player. The USA star was supposedly recovering very well from her injury and could have played in the quarters if she wanted to. However, USA’s leading scorer was only required to watch from the sidelines as her team cruised to victory.
Against a stronger and more refined Serbian side, that might not be possible. Thompson might end up taking the field and if she does so, could provide a valuable boost as captain.
