UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Former Penn State greats Micha Hancock and Haleigh Washington played pivotal roles as the U.S. women's volleyball team swept the Dominican Republic on Wednesday to advance to the semifinal round of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
USA will take on Serbia in the semifinal round on Friday at midnight. Brazil and South Korea will meet in the other semifinal match later in the day at 8 a.m.
Hancock received her first Olympics starting nod at setter and guided the USA attack to a .355 hitting percentage against Dominican Republic. She finished with 37 assists while adding six digs, one ace, one block and one kill. USA is now a perfect 5-0 in sets that Hancock started at setter.
Washington and Hancock had a clear connection from their short time as teammates in college and more recently their time as teammates on Igor Novara Volley in Italy. Washington totaled seven kills, five digs, two blocks and an ace.
Serbia advanced to the semifinal with a 3-0 win over Italy. It also has wins over Dominican Republic (3-0), Japan (3-0), Kenya (3-0) and South Korea (3-0). The team's lone loss came to Brazil in pool play. Serbia defeated USA in the semifinal round on its way to earning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics.
The USA vs. Serbia match will air live on USA Network.
Hancock was a three-time All-American for Penn State and won back-to-back national titles with the Nittany Lions in 2013 and 2014. Washington also earned three All-America honors and joined Hancock on the 2014 title-winning team.
