United States players, including Thomas Jaeschke, No. 17, celebrate Monday at the end of a men’s quarterfinal volleyball match against Brazil at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
AP
A veteran’s touch can never be discounted. Olympian Thomas Jaeschke applied it to solid effect on Monday.
The 6-foot-6 Wheaton native recorded 5 kills with 3 digs and led the United States Men’s National Volleyball Team in reception percentage in a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Brazil at South Paris Arena 1.
The 26-24, 28-30, 25-19, 25-19 victory sent Team USA to its seventh semifinal in Olympics history.
The United States, 4-0 in these Olympics, will face Poland (3-1) in the semifinals at 9 a.m. Wednesday. France and Italy play in the 1 p.m. semifinal.
After the U.S. and Brazil split the first two sets Monday, Team USA coach John Speraw sent Jaeschke in for fellow outside hitter Aaron Russell with the U.S. leading 16-13.
The three-time Olympian scored for a 21-16 lead, then reacted and recovered on a Brazil tip attempt leading to a 23-17 U.S. lead.
“Really good off the bench,” NBC play-by-play announcer Paul Sunderland said of Jaeschke.
On the court for the rest of the match, Jaeschke’s spike inside a Brazil block gave the United States a 6-6 tie in the fourth set, rallying from an 0-3 deficit.
Another Jaeschke kill gave Team USA an 8-7 lead, and his reception of Bruno Rezende’s 97-mph serve led to Micah Christenson setting Taylor Averill for a 21-17 lead.
Jaeschke scored for a 22-19 lead, passing from the back row then coming to the net for the kill.
On match point, Jaeschke contributed a dig and made 2 kill attempts before Averill closed the victory by stuffing a Brazil spike.
Speaking in June before the USA Men’s National Team went to Paris, Jaeschke sounded almost disgusted with the Americans’ 10th-place finish in Tokyo in 2021. Especially after helping win a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
They’re now two victories away from a fourth gold medal.
“ (No.) 17 is reliable,” NBC analyst Kevin Barnett said .