Heather Erickson commanded the court with an epic 28-point performance, leading USA to a 3-1 (25-21, 23-25, 25-20, 25-22) victory over China in the women’s sitting volleyball final at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games on Saturday at North Paris Arena.
Erickson’s dominance, featuring 25 attacks, two blocks, and an ace, secured USA’s third consecutive Paralympic gold, equalling China’s record of three gold medals in the sport.
China, having claimed gold at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012, battled valiantly with Xu Yixiao’s 22 points spearheading their efforts. Tang Xuemei, Zhang Lijun, and Zhang Zufei added double-digit scores, but they could not find an answer to Erickson’s powerful play or break through USA’s impenetrable net defence.
Despite China outscoring USA in attacks (56-54) and aces (9-3), USA’s 17 blocks to China’s six, along with fewer turnovers, gave them a critical edge.
Erickson’s impact was felt from the very beginning, as she opened USA’s scoring with a block and an attack, immediately setting the tone for the match. China responded with attacks from Tang and Xu to level the score at 2-2, but USA soon edged ahead through Erickson’s leadership and a few costly Chinese errors. Contributions from Kathryn Bridge and Monique Matthews helped USA close out the first set 25-21.
The first set opened with a competitive exchange of points. Erickson’s impact was felt from the very beginning, scoring the first two points for USA with a block and an attack. Tang and Xu quickly answered with back-to-back spikes to even the score at 2-2. From there, it was a close contest, with the teams trading points until 4-4. However, Erickson pushed USA ahead with a sharp spike to make it 5-4, and from there, USA began to build momentum.
Chinese errors, combined with precision attacks from Bridge, allowed USA to extend their lead to 7-5. China remained within striking distance but struggled to keep up as Matthews and Lora Webster added to the offensive effort. Erickson sealed the set with a powerful attack, giving USA a 25-21 win.
In the second set, China came out firing, determined to level the match. They capitalised on a USA error to take the opening point and rode the momentum with Xu Yixiao leading the charge. Xu’s attacking combined with strong serving from Zhang Lijun allowed China to jump out to a commanding 6-0 lead. However, USA regrouped quickly. Erickson started USA’s recovery with a hard spike, and consecutive errors from China cut their lead to 6-3.
Erickson’s continued offensive pressure brought USA back to tie the game at 7-7, and from there, both teams traded points in a fierce back-and-forth battle, with the score deadlocked at 15-15. Erickson once again took control, propelling USA ahead 18-15 with timely attacks. However, China remained patient and clawed their way back into the game, tying it at 21-21. The set reached a tense 23-23 stalemate before Xu broke through with a sharp attack, followed by an ace from Zhang Lijun, giving China the set 25-23 and levelling the match at 1-1.
The third set saw USA regroup, with Erickson and Matthews leading the charge early on. USA took control with Erickson’s powerful spikes, building an early 7-3 lead. China struggled to keep pace, committing a series of unforced errors that allowed USA to extend the gap to 10-5. Kathryn Bridge delivered a perfectly timed spike to stretch the lead to 11-5.
USA’s combination of offensive firepower and solid net defence, led by Matthews and Bridge, pushed them to a commanding 15-8 lead, prompting a Chinese timeout. Although China attempted to tighten their defence, Matthews found seams in their blocking, maintaining USA’s lead at 18-15. Erickson continued her all-around dominance with strong spikes, helping USA edge closer to set point. Bridge and Matthews added key blocks, and a Chinese error gave USA the set 25-20, putting them ahead 2-1.
The fourth set began with Zhang Lijun delivering a blistering serve to give China the first point, but USA responded with composed, powerful attacks, taking a 7-4 lead. China fought back, with Zhang Lijun and Xu combining to level the score at 8-8. China then pushed ahead 13-10, with Zhang Lijun playing a pivotal role at the net. USA, however, staged another comeback, led by Erickson’s relentless attacking and Matthews’ solid blocking, tying the set 15-15.
The teams continued to trade points in an intense battle, with Erickson stepping up once again to deliver key blows and level the score at 17-17. USA then took control of the set, with their front line firing on all cylinders. China made a late push, with Xu delivering an ace and a sharp attack to cut the lead to 22-21, but USA remained composed. Bridge’s off-the-block hit secured the final point at 25-22, clinching the victory and sealing USA’s third consecutive Paralympic gold.
Photo: WPV/Sinisa Kanizaj.
