Daniel sets the ball to Sean who smashes it through the block, landing and screaming with a raised fist.
USA 1-4 Brazil.
Kurai grits his teeth. Taking heavy breaths. 'Again…? AGAIN!?...' He grips his right knee tightly. 'Every. Single. Time. without fail! This knee betrays me!!' He punches the bench and exhales.
"Stupid… knee!"
Coach Copley turns and sighs sitting beside Kurai.
"So… your knee took you out of the game again… huh" Kurai freezes, sitting up straight.
"How did you-"
"Back in High School… in your Freshman Year 3rd round National match, your team was already crumbling with some players taken out when your knee failed you and you were also taken out…" Kurai's eyes widened. "Then, in college just last week, at college Nationals in your first round, you lost when your knee gave out and you… leaving your small team without a setter and one player down… and now… here" Kurai scoffs.
"What's it matter… anytime I'm needed in the final moments of a game, I'm either forcefully removed or taken out medically" Copley sighs.
"With great power comes great… burden…" Kurai pauses for a moment, processing the change in the popular quote.
"That was unexpected, but true," Copley calmly smiles.
"Maybe your problem isn't what you're doing wrong, but what you think you're doing right?" Kurai watches the court. Max spiking into a block, rebounding it out of bounds.
"What do you mean?" Copley smiles.
"Up until now, you've done everything to give your teammates a better chance to score, yes? But… What if you could trust your teammates to do the same for you? So you won't have to strain yourself running so much throughout the match?" Kurai relaxes.
"...maybe…"
Daniel sets the ball down the center, Jordan smashing the ball into a block, Kyle missing the recoiled ball.
USA 3-12 Brazil.
Daniel smashes the ball over the net, going out of bounds as he growls in agitation.
USA 3-13 Brazil.
Bruno tosses the ball, slamming it over the net. Kyle brings it up as Daniel jumps to set, instantly spiking the ball into a block. Kyle bringing the ball up.
"It's low!" Daniel lands, kicking the low ball high. Jordan rushes towards the ball, jumping and smacking it over the net from the back court. The ball goes out of bounds as Jordan hits the ground and rolls.
USA 3-14 Brazil. Brazil: Match point.
Bruno serves the ball over the net again, Kyle stepping forward to receive as the ball smacks him in the face, bouncing low. Daniel rushing over and underhand setting to Sean. Sean smashes the ball into the block, sending it into the lights. The ball quickly falls back to the court. Tyler overhand receives it as Daniel jumps to set again, instantly turning and setter dumping the ball over the net, Brazil pushing it back over and onto the court. Daniel lands as the arena goes silent in respect. Brazil taking heavy exhausted breaths alongside the US team.
The two whistles blow ominously across the high ceiling.
USA 3-15 Brazil. Brazil wins the 5th set. [25-23 (USA) / 25-20 (USA) / 26-24 (Brazil) / 20-25 (Brazil) / 3/15 (Brazil) / 3-2 sets: Brazil wins]
The arena sits in an eerie silence as the players on the court take heavy breaths, barely staying standing. Kyle groans as he pushes himself standing.
The arena erupting in a wall of claps and roars.
"What an amazing game that has just concluded! Team USA had us going in the first half there, but Brazil pulled ahead in the second half through sheer grit"
"For sure, a staple of this year's Olympics!
Team USA walks horizontal to the net, shaking hands with Brazil's players.
Kurai blankly staring at Diego.
"Как бы мне это ни нравилось, это была хорошая игра, чувак." Diego freezes in place, trying to process.
"Thanks?" Diego shivers. 'Was that Russian? He's scary…'
Bruno shakes Sean's hand, stopping the line for a moment to respectfully nod.
"And with that, both teams return to their benches, what an amazing game that was!"
"But that's not all, it's time to announce the Most Valuable Player of the game!"
The arena goes quiet as the screens light up.
"With his team losing the first 2 sets, this player joined the game to start the third set only to instantly shut down three consecutive spikes and turn the game in Brazil's favor… Michael Walsh!"
Michael stands tall as all cameras turn to him as he nods silently.
Kurai stands on the court beside his teammates. The Arena staff smiling to the player to his right and bowing as they step towards Kurai, bowing.
"Good job on the medal, Kurai Vlast" Kurai bows down low enough for them to put on the Silver Medal.
"You too"
Kurai puts a backpack on and lifts a duffle bag and turns to follow Coach Copley as Sean steps over.
"Let's beat them next time, Kurai" Kurai nods, eyes glowing in determination.
The tv turns off as the man relaxes on the sofa.
"Man… I have no clue how I'll face him in the Qualifiers of the VNL… he was on FIRE that game!" a little girl sitting on the sofa beside him looks up with a smile.
"Isn't he your cousin?" the man pauses, his long silver hair falling over his shoulder.
"Oh, no! You got it wrong…" His blue eyes shimmer. "He's my twin brother" Kaneko smiles brightly
"Daddy has a twin brother!?"
Kaneko Vlast - #4 for Russia, Opposite
[Some time later - Team USA Tryouts]
Coach Copley stands tall, smiling at the wall of titans eager to join the team.
"It seems our Olympics run did us well. Welcome!" the wall of players nod in agreement. "Good, let's get this started, but I won't go easy on you.
A short man stands at only five foot four inches with curly orange hair and brown eyes smirks.
"This'll be fun!"
Emelio Alvaro - HS Graduate - Monster Generation Member - Middle
A distance away, a 6 foot 4 inch giant stands, his skin dark brown as he sports chin length wavy black hair and dark gray eyes. A flower vine tattoo down his entire right arm.
"I'm coming your way, Kurai…!"
Jayden Ramirez - College Grad. - Wing