Italy beat United States in straight sets to win Olympic women's volleyball gold

PARIS - Top-ranked Italy dominated the United States to win the Olympic women's volleyball final on Sunday, crushing the defending champions in straight sets to claim their first gold medal.

Italy came into the Olympics as the Volleyball Nations League champions and did not lose a match en route to gold, dropping one set in the pool stage and none in the knockouts.

Italy's Paola Egonu was the star of the show after the 25-year-old scored 22 points with four blocks.

The Americans had won a medal at the last five Olympics and the silver was their seventh overall - more than any other country in women's volleyball.

On Saturday, Brazil denied Turkey a first Olympic medal in women's volleyball when the South Americans won the bronze medal match 3-1.

—Reuters