TOKYO, July 31 (Reuters) - The United States' hopes of winning a first Olympic gold medal in women's volleyball took a hit on Saturday when they lost ace spiker Jordan Thompson to injury in a straight sets defeat by the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) team.
Thompson sprained her ankle in the second set and did not return, watching on from the sidelines with tears streaming down her face as ROC won 25-20 25-12 25-19.
The American opposite hitter, competing in her first Games, has been their breakout star after top-scoring in their first three wins which included a colossal 34-points effort against defending champions China.