BARCELONA ’92 OLYMPICS / DAY 9 : DAILY REPORT : WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL : U.S. Easily Beats Spain but Is Second to CIS

The U.S. women’s volleyball team, overmatching Spain in all aspects of the game, defeated the host nation, 15-4, 15-4, 15-10, but finished preliminary play in second place in Pool A. The United States, the Commonwealth of Independent States and Japan wound up 2-1, but the CIS had the best game differential.

In the match against Spain, outside hitter Caren Kamner again led the U.S. team. One of her shots was dug by Spanish setter Rita Otta, and it knocked her 10 feet backward.

“We pretty much knew if we played hard, it would be a short match,” U.S. middle blocker Elaina Oden said. “And we played hard.”

The runner-up spot means the United States will have to play a quarterfinal match against the Netherlands on Tuesday. The CIS, which finished first in Pool A despite losing to the United States, gets a bye into the semifinals.

The CIS wrapped up first place in the preliminary round with a 15-13, 15-11, 15-11 victory over Japan, which placed third in the group. Japan will play Brazil in the quarterfinals.

In Pool B, Cuba finished preliminary action with a 3-0 record by defeating the Netherlands, 15-11, 15-11, 15-13. Brazil (2-1) eliminated China (0-3), 15-9, 7-15, 15-11, 14-16, 15-12.

The Netherlands advanced with a 1-2 record.

SOCCER

Lucky Bounce Helps Australia Advance to the Semifinals

Australia benefited from a lucky bounce in a 2-1 soccer victory over Sweden, enabling the Aussies to advance to a semifinal meeting against Poland.

Tony Vidmar’s shot deflected off teammate Shaun Murphy, who was standing in a crowd of players, and the ball sailed past keeper Jan Ekholm in the 57th minute to give Australia a 2-0 lead.

Sweden’s Jonny Roedlund scored in the 61st minute. Carl Vaert opened the scoring in the first half for Australia.

Ghana’s Kwame Ayew scored three goals and substitute Olli Rahman added another for a 4-2 overtime victory over Paraguay. Trailing, 2-0, Paraguay rallied with two goals in the final 14 minutes to force the extra session. Ghana will play Spain in the other semifinal Wednesday.

FENCING

Hungary’s Szabo Wins Saber

It took Bence Szabo of Hungary less than five minutes to defeat Marco Marin of Italy and win the gold medal in men’s saber. Ebullient teammates, coaches and fans hoisted him into their arms and threw him into the air.

There was no joy, though, among the U.S. fencers, who failed to make it to the medal rounds.

Szabo, 30, a champion of the 1988-89 European Cup events, defeated Marin, 5-1, 5-1.

Jean-Francois Lamour of France, the defending saber champion and a 12-time French champion, won the bronze after defeating Giovanni Scalzo of Italy, 3-5, 6-5, 5-1. Lamour was the gold medalist in 1988 at Seoul, where Scalzo won the bronze.

JUDO

France’s Nowak Gets Gold

World champion Cecile Nowak became the second Frenchwoman to win a judo gold medal when she took the 106-pound class.

Nowak, a four-time European champion, beat Ryoko Tamura of Japan in the final. It was France’s sixth overall gold medal of the Olympics, one short of its best performance.

Valerie Lafon of San Diego had to withdraw from the competition when she failed to make the weigh-in. She was suffering from dehydration in an effort to make the weight requirement. After receiving treatment for her dehydration, she was still four pounds overweight.

“I knew making the 48 kilos was going to be a difficult task,” Lafon said. “Yesterday, I was a pound and a half over the required weight, but was so weak I was advised by the U.S. Olympic Committee medical staff to accept intravenous fluids.”

Jim Montgomery, the USOC chief physician, said he thought it was “medically dangerous” for Lafon to try making the weight.

In the men’s division, 19-year-old Tony Okado of Stanton, Calif., lost in the first round to European champion Philippe Pradayroi of France on a judges’ decision.

FIELD HOCKEY

Australia’s Slide Continues

Gold-medal favorite Australia continued its plunge in women’s field hockey, bowing to undefeated Spain, 1-0, and losing out on a slot in Tuesday’s semifinals. Instead, Australia (1-2) will play New Zealand (0-2) for fifth place. Undefeated Germany beat Canada, 4-0. In the semifinals, Germany will face Britain, and Spain will meet South Korea.

MEDALISTS

* JUDO

(Men--132 pounds) Nazim Gousseinov (CIS) SILVER Yoon Hyun (South Korea) BRONZE (tie) Tadanori Koshino (Japan) BRONZE Richard Trautmann (Germany)

(Women--106 pounds) GOLD Cecile Nowak (France) SILVER Ryoko Tamura (Japan) BRONZE (tie) Hulya Senyurt (Turkey) BRONZE Amarilis Savon Carmenaty (Cuba)

* FENCING

(Men’s individual saber) GOLD Bence Szabo (Hungary) SILVER Marco Marin (Italy) BRONZE Jean-Francois Lamour (France)