Four years ago, New Zealander Hugh McCutcheon coached the U.S. men's volleyball team to a gold medal at the Beijing Games.
McCutcheon has taken a different team to London, where he's trying to repeat that feat. This time, he's coaching the U.S. women's volleyball team
And the Americans are indeed the favorites in London.
Team USA is ranked No. 1 in the world. They're coming off a silver medal at the 2011 World Cup, and they won the World Grand Prix earlier this year, going 14-0 en route to the championship — their third in a row.
However, no U.S. women's volleyball team has ever won a gold medal at the Olympics. Today, the American face Brazil at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBC/Channel 5.
The U.S women's basketball team — defending gold medalists — takes on Angola (5:15 p.m. ET, NBCSN and NBC basketball channel).
The U.S. women's water polo team — winners of three consecutive medals (but never a gold) — takes on Hungary (2:30 p.m. ET, NBC).
NBC PRIMETIME • (8 p.m.-midnight ET, NBC): Swimming gold-medal finals in men's 200-meter freestyle and 100-meter backstroke; women's 100-meter backstroke and 100-meter breastroke; the men's gymnastics gold medal will be awarded; and in men's diving, it's the gold-medal final of the men's synchronized platform diving.
MORE HIGHLIGHTS
Swimming • (10-10:30 a.m. ET, NBC): Qualifying heats featured Michael Phelps (200m butterfly), Missy Franklin and Allison Schmitt (200m freestyle)
Archery • (12:45 p.m. ET, NBCSN): Brady Ellison, ranked No. 1 in the world, will attempt to be the first American to medal in an individual event since 1996.
Weightlifting • (1:30 p.m. ET, MSNBC): Gold-medal finals of the men's 62kg and women's 58kg.
Badminton • (1:45 p.m. ET, MSNBC): Americans Tony Gunawan and Howard Bach match up against a team from Japan.
Boxing • (5-8 p.m. ET, CNBC): Rau'shee Warren is set to become the first American boxer to compete in three Olympic Games. —
Pierce on TV
Follow Scott D. Pierce's reports on TV coverage of the Olympics at sltrib.com/blogs/tv; follow him on Twitter @ScottDPierce.
