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Pittsburgh-Area Woman Wins Bronze With Women's Volleyball Team

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP/KDKA) -- A Pittsburgh-area woman will be bringing home a bronze medal from the Rio Olympics after competing with the U.S. women's volleyball team.

Karch Kiraly's top-ranked U.S. women's volleyball team has earned an Olympic bronze medal, hardly the color the Americans planned for when they came to Brazil chasing the program's first gold in history.

The U.S. topped the Netherlands 25-23, 25-27, 25-22, 25-19 Saturday, bouncing back for bronze two days after a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Serbia in the semifinals.

On the team was Christina Dietzen, of Hopewell.

 

After Kim Hill's ace on match point, the U.S. women fell into an embrace and Kiraly hugged his coaches and brought his team together for a cheer.

The Netherlands shined playing in its first Olympics since 1996 in Atlanta, where they finished fourth and surprised many as the Dutch put women's volleyball on the map with their gutsy, never-give-up style.

MORE OLYMPICS: WVU Student Wins The Gold | Mt. Lebanon Native Takes Bronze | Olympics

Dietzen is one of several Pittsburgh-area athletes to be bringing home medals from Rio. Amanda Polk won gold with the U.S. women's eight rowing team, and Leah Smith won both a gold and bronze medal for the women's 4x200m freestyle relay and the women's 400m freestyle, respectively.

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(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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