Featured Columnist IVAugust 3, 2024
THOMAS SAMSON/AFP through Getty Photos
Chase Budinger and Miles Evans dwell to battle one other day on the 2024 Summer season Olympics.
The American pair beat Australia’s Thomas Hodges and Zachery Schubert in straight units in Saturday’s “fortunate loser” match to advance to the knockout stage. They’re the second U.S. staff to qualify for the spherical of 16.
USA Volleyball @usavolleyball
BOOM!
Miles Evans and Chase Budinger are on to the Spherical of 16! They received their Fortunate Loser match, 21-19, 21-17 over Hodges/Schubert 🇦🇺
All 4 U.S. groups have superior! @TeamUSA @NBCOlympics pic.twitter.com/btJ7mZvj0k
Budinger and Evans completed third in Group F with one win and two losses, which denied them computerized qualifying to the subsequent stage. The match format no less than left them with a lifeline to increase their keep in Paris.
Budinger’s 6’7″ body and impressive leaping ability proved to play an vital position for Group USA. His four blocks have been far and away probably the most within the match. Hodges was the one different participant to file even a single block.
The previous NBA ahead additionally boasted an 18.03 p.c hitting effectivity. Evans completed at a 7.69 p.c clip.
Budinger’s resolution to go away basketball behind and focus solely on volleyball—he was a embellished volleyball participant in highschool—has been well chronicled by now. Merely qualifying for the Olympics validated his alternative, and coming house with a medal could be the cherry on high.
Budinger and Evans will face off in opposition to Norway’s Anders Mol and Christian Sørum within the spherical of 16 on Monday. Mol and Sørum have been good in Group B and are the seventh-ranked tandem in males’s seashore volleyball.
They’re going to pose a big problem to Budinger and Evans.
