July 19, 2007

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Former University of Missouri volleyballer Lindsey Hunter and Team USA, ranked No. 7 in the world, captured the bronze medal Thursday at the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, defeating Peru 25-22, 25-22, and 25-22 in the Bronze Medal match. Hunter becomes the first in Mizzou history to win a major international medal in the sport of volleyball and contributed to the team's early successes in the tournament, starting at setter in the first two of three preliminary matches.

Hunter was the quarterback in USA's tournament-opening win over Costa Rica on Saturday (July 14), turning in two setter dumps for kills to go with 16 assists in a 25-9, 25-19, 25-12 win.

No. 19 Puerto Rico was the USA's second opponent, taking game one with Hunter at start before losing to the Americans in four sets on Sunday (July 15). Hunter would sub into the third and final match of the preliminaries with No. 5 Cuba on Monday (July 16). Although the USA was guaranteed a spot in the medal round, they fell to eventual gold-medalists Cuba in straight sets.

No. 2 world-ranked and silver-medalists Brazil was the Americans' foe in the semifinals on Wednesday (July 18). Hunter saw action in the first set, but the Americans fell in the match 25-13, 25-20, 25-20.

Hunter did not play in today's bronze-medal match against Peru.

Team USA won their third-consecutive bronze medal in the Pan-American Games, having also taken bronze in 1999 and 2003. The Pan-Am Games are an international competition held every four years that invites all countries on the North and South American continents. The Americans last won gold in women's volleyball in 1967.

Cuba won the gold for the first time since 1995, but now has won gold in eight of the last 10 Pan-Am Games. Brazil fell to Cuba in five sets to take silver, 25-27, 25-22, 22-25, 34-32, 17-15 in an exciting finale.

Track's Nicholls Competes at Pan-Am Games Next Friday Mizzou track and field's Shernelle Nicholls competes for her home country Barbados next Friday in the women's shot put. Nicholls, the Mizzou school-record holder in two events and the Barbadian record holder in three events, including the shot, was an All-American with the shot during her first year at Mizzou after transferring from Missouri Baptist.

Last weekend, Nicholls won bronze in the discus and shot put events at the NACAC Championships in El Salvador.

ESPN Deportes will have live coverage of track and field events starting next week.

A live stream of ESPN Deportes can be found here ... http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/oly/panam07/popupVideo?s=1