BEIJING - Jake Gibb is a long way from his backyard in Bountiful.

For one thing, he probably never had bikini-clad dancers bouncing around the worn-out grass and exposed tree roots while he spiked over a droopy net, nurturing his new passion.

But Gibb is in the Beijing Olympics now, where the party atmosphere at the Chaoyang Park Beach Volleyball Ground matches his boundless excitement about being there -- from the flag-waving fans dancing and chanting to the volunteers with glittery pompoms and the five guys in the stands dressed like superheroes such as Thor, Ironman and Captain America.

"It's unlike anything I've ever played in," Gibb said, beaming, his hat turned backward.

Even though the stands are but half full, rock music blares between points, and an announcer exhorts fans with shouts of "Jia-you, U-S-A!" Occasionally, a volunteer runs out to pick up and dispose of one of the giant insects that finds its way onto the sand.

The whole thing is almost hard for Gibb to believe, considering he did not start playing volleyball seriously until he was back from an LDS Church mission seven years ago and loathed merely speaking about the Olympics for the past year and a half, for fear of jinxing his chances of reaching them.

But just as quickly as Gibb ascended in his new sport, so too has he started to become an Olympic sensation with his eager fist-pumps, searing hand-slaps and primal howls of ecstasy -- never mind the way he and partner Sean Rosenthal have suddenly positioned themselves to make a run at the medal stand.

"We're playing our best volleyball right now," he said. "We feel like we're peaking."

It shows.

Ranked ninth in the tournament, Gibb and Rosenthal easily disposed of sixth-rated Julius Brinker and Christophe Dieckmann of Germany 21-15, 21-13 on Tuesday night, assuring themselves a place in the quarterfinals. They needed only 39 minutes to advance, after taking just 37 to beat a Dutch team in a driving rainstorm in their Olympic debut. It was the fastest match of the tournament.

"It was awesome," Gibb said. "This is my first Olympic experience, man. If it was snowing, like it does in Utah, I would have played out there and had a great time."

Already, Gibb has been getting the rock-star treatment, with fans lining up along the fence outside the stadium to request his autograph. His wife and parents have traveled here to watch him play, along with three brothers, two sisters - he's one of 11 children - and two sisters-in-law.

"And a few friends," he said.

All those fans just might be witnessing Gibb and Rosenthal blossom into the best American hope for a medal, too.

The pair finally beat the world's top-ranked team, fellow Americans Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser, in a tournament final for the first time in nine tries recently, and Rogers and Dalhausser lost their Olympic opener to a relatively unknown Latvian team, making them look unexpectedly vulnerable.

Not that Gibb and Rosenthal see it that way.

"We're not even close," Gibb said. "Not even close. . . .You don't win two matches and all the sudden claim the title. We're not even close. They're the best team in the world, and they're the team to beat."

If he says so.

But something special seems to be brewing out at the volleyball ground, in addition to the unexpected enthusiasm of the Chinese fans and the raucous chants of "U-S-A" that give Gibb goosebumps every time he hears them.

"Yeah, I just want to go home," he joked, smiling wide and soaking it all in. "I'm over this."