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August 28, 2004 11:14 am

Volleyball team has medal incentive

By STEVE RIVERA

Gannett News Service

ATHENS, Greece - The United States men's volleyball team still has a goal to achieve as it plays Russia on Sunday at Peace and Friendship Stadium.

It's a medal, something that has eluded the men's team since the 1992 Olympics, when it came away with a bronze.

``It's still a medal,'' said Clay Stanley, a Honolulu native. ``It would be great to bring back to the United States. We haven't won a medal in awhile, so it would be a great feeling.''

It would also be a good sendoff to team captain Lloy Ball, 32, who will be playing in his final match for the national team.

``I'm happy because we have a chance to play for a medal in my last game in a USA uniform,'' said Ball, a three-time Olympian and former star at the University of Indiana-Purdue. ``Russia is a team we know real well and a team we know we can beat. It's going to be real exciting.''

Team USA lost to Russia in four games in pool play last week.

``We played a strong match against them earlier in the tournament, and our players are going to be very excited and very motivated to play for a medal,'' USA coach Doug Beal said.

The key, the players said, will be to forget what happened in getting swept in Friday's semifinals by top-ranked Brazil.

``We want to go home with something,'' said Reid Priddy. ``We just don't want to come down here to be fourth.''

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