TOKYO -- The American team "A Team" has reached the gold medal match in the Olympic beach volleyball tournament.April Ross and Alix Kulineman defeated Switzerland 21-12, 21-11 at Shiokaze Park Thursday to win at least a Silver medal. Ross won the bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro and silver in London. This will be Ross's third medal. Klineman is the first Olympian.The U.S. will now face the Australian team of Mariafe artacho and Taliqua Clancy. They beat Latvia 23-21, 21-13, in the other semifinal.Anouk Verge Depre and Joana Heidrich from Switzerland will compete for bronze against Tina Graudina of Latvia and Anastasija Kravcenoka.In the first set, the Americans never trailed. After losing the first point in the second set, they won the next three points and maintained their lead.The United States will also be able to win a beach volleyball medal at the seventh consecutive Summer Games. Since 1996, when the sport was added in Atlanta to the Olympic program, that's all of them.Brazil was the only country to have achieved this feat -- up until now. It was eliminated in Tokyo, and none of its teams reached the semifinals.Australia was a pioneer in Olympic beach volleyball. Kerri Pottharst and Natalie Cook won bronze in Atlanta, and gold at Bondi Beach. The Aussies have not reached the podium since.This report was contributed by The Associated Press.
