U.S. women's volleyball mourns loss, survives battle with Japan

Dealing with the emotions of the loss of Todd Bachman, father of former U.S. women's national team player Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon who was stabbed to death at the 13th-century Drum Tower in Beijing, the Americans recorded a 25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21 Pool A victory Saturday over Japan at Capital Indoor Stadium.

The members of the U.S. women's national team were informed of Bachman's death, as well as potential life-threatening injuries to his wife Barbara, before the match. Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon is the wife of U.S. men's national team coach Hugh McCutcheon.

Libero Stacy Sykora was Bachman McCutcheon's roommate during the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"It was a reaction that I don't even have to describe. You have to understand what Liz Bachman is to USA Volleyball. She's probably the nicest person in the entire world, her and her family," Sykora told the Associated Press. "Her family is like our family because they traveled with us, she fought in the 2004 Olympics with us."

Danielle Scott-Arruda led the U.S. with 16 kills and six blocks, Tayyiba Haneef-Park added 14 kills and four blocks, and Logan Tom and Kim Willoughby contributed nine kills apiece for the Americans, who rallied from a 19-18 deficit to score the final seven points in the third game before fighting back from 20-19 down in the fourth to close out the match.

Tom, who has been playing the past couple of years on the AVP tour before returning to train with the women's indoor team, was also a teammate of Bachman McCutcheon in 2004 in Athens.

"It's hard to put it in words," Tom told the Associated Press after the match while fighting back tears. "That's not something that's supposed to happen."