Resilient Russia is going to another gold medal game in women's volleyball, while a stunned Brazil team is stuck playing again for the bronze. And a victory by China stopped Cuba's streak of three straight Olympic championships.
Ekaterina Gamova scored 32 points for the Russians, who dropped the first two sets and trailed the Brazilians in each of the last three before coming back to win Thursday's semifinal, 18-25, 21-25, 25-22, 28-26, 16-14.
Brazil blew a 24-19 lead in the fourth set and wasted a total of seven match points.
"Even when we fell behind, we had faith in ourselves and we knew that we would be the winners," Gamova said through an interpreter.
Russia, the silver-medal winner in Sydney in 2000, will play in the final Saturday against China -- which held off a feisty rally by the Cubans in a 25-22, 25-20, 17-25, 23-25, 15-10 victory.
Hao Yang killed four of her team's last five points in the fifth set and finished with 23 points for the Chinese, whose disciplined defense and fluid, powerful attack was ultimately too much for Cuba.
The Brazilians were winning by overshadowing the imposing Russian block with an impressive one of their own. Russia is the tournament leader in defense at the net, averaging just under three blocks per set, and Brazil beat them in that category 20-12.
Brazil consistently aligned two or three defenders in perfect spots to stop Gamova's long, high swing. Marianne Steinbrecher, who had a match-high 37 points, had six blocks. Walewska Oliveira added five blocks and Menezes four.
The quick, efficient offense the Brazilians are known for deserted them when it counted. Five of Russia's last eight points in the fourth set came on hitting errors by Brazil.
After taking a 13-10 lead in the fifth set, the Brazilians let the Russians climb back to tie it at 14. A ball hit by Virna Dias was blocked by Marina Sheshenina, and Steinbrecher's spike landed long to give the Russia the win.
Stern coach Nikolay Karpol even managed to crack a smile, while a disconsolate Dias hugged friends in the Brazilian fan section for several minutes.
Later, China ended the Cubans' 12-year control on Olympic gold by roaring to life in the fifth set after barely putting up a fight in the third and fourth.
On match point, Hao wound up and whacked a powerful spike from the left side that bounced off the arms of Liana Mesa Luaces and sailed out of the court.
The Chinese players hugged and cried with the thought of playing for their country's first gold medal since 1984.
Cuba beat Brazil in the semifinals in 1996 and 2000, and the first meeting in Atlanta was marred by a post-game shoving match that spilled over into the locker room. There weren't any problems in Sydney, but these teams are still big rivals.
For the third straight Summer Games, the Brazilians -- the only unbeaten team in the preliminary round -- head to the third-place match.
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