BEIJING — From its initial parade of athletes to the extinguishing of the flame, the Olympics are all about protocol. However, moments before the start of their opening round contest on Sunday, the United States men’s volleyball team decided not to stand on ceremony.
“One thing we knew; they weren’t gonna start the match without us,” captain Thomas Hoff said.
And so, before a five-set victory over Venezuela, the players paused at the net for a moment of silence, honoring head coach Hugh McCutcheon and his family. The day before, McCutcheon’s father-in-law, Todd Bachman, the father of former U.S. Olympic volleyball player Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon, was murdered.
While taking the court at Capital Gymnasium wasn’t the easiest thing to do, everyone wearing red, white and blue knew it was the best thing.
“The Bachmans were wonderful volleyball fans; (Bachman McCutcheon) was a wonderful volleyball player,” said assistant Ron Larsen, who acted as head coach in Hugh McCutcheon’s absence. “They were great followers and great supporters; I think the only way we can honor them at this juncture, the only thing we can do-is go out and compete every day, and play hard every day and enjoy and love the game of volleyball.
“It is a game and we should be playing it and loving it and enjoying this the way they did.”
In many ways, Sunday’s victory was a testament to the groundwork laid by McCutcheon in the years leading up to the Games. After winning gold medals in the 1984 and ’88 Olympics, and a bronze in 1992, the Americans had faltered on the world stage.
Just four years ago in Athens, the team failed to advance beyond the preliminary round; in 2005, McCutcheon was named as coach. Almost immediately, he began rebuilding the team with an eye on Beijing.
Entering the Games, the U.S. men were ranked third in the world; and so, while the players were well aware of why their coach wasn’t present on Sunday, they had progressed to the point where they weren’t paralyzed by McCutcheon’s absence either.
The team wasn’t sure whether McCutcheon would be back for their match against Italy on Tuesday.
“Whatever he can provide; whether that’s him just calling in or our talking with him, that’s fine with us,” Hoff said. “We’re totally aware that we may see him, we may not. And that’s totally fine with us.”
Fine, but not ideal.
“Hugh was sorely missed on the sidelines by the players and coaches,” Larsen said. “Believe me, I’d much rather be sitting on the bench, telling him what I think we should be doing, and having him say, ‘I don’t think so,” rather than where I am right now.”
Anthony Cotton: 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com
