U.S. Team Learning the Hard Way : Women’s volleyball: Chinese team administers a 15-6, 15-13, 15-8 beating at the Bren Center.

Check out the latest status report on the U.S. women’s national volleyball team and try not to wince.

A young, inexperienced U.S. team, missing most of its top stars, lost its fifth consecutive match to China, 15-6, 15-13, 15-8, Tuesday night in front of 2,045 at the Bren Center.

The five-city California “Stars and Spikes” tour against the Chinese was supposed to be a coming out party, a learning experience, for some of the top young American players.

It turned into target practice for the Chinese, who feature four former Olympians. Tuesday night’s sweep was the second by the Chinese, who won two other matches in four games.

China needed only one hour 25 minutes Tuesday night to drop the United States to 5-5 on the year, a mark the Americans hope to improve on as they leave today for the Canada Cup in Winnipeg.

The Americans, who went 15-27 last season after winning the bronze medal at the 1992 Olympics, played without former Olympians Caren Kemner, Teee Williams, Tara Cross-Battle and Elaina Oden, who are playing overseas, and Kim Oden, who has retired. All but Kim Oden are expected to return by June.

In the meantime, Coach Terry Liskevych, entering his 10th year with the team, is left with a starting lineup that features two Olympians--outside hitter Tammy Liley and setter Lori Endicott--and several former college stars with little international experience.

“This is a young team,” Liskevych said. “We usually have a young group after each Olympics, and I think this group is way ahead of where we were in 1985 and ’89. Once we get our veteran players back from overseas, we’ll have a good team.”

The Americans could have used those veterans Tuesday night.

After China built a 10-3 lead and cruised to an easy victory in the first game, the Americans blew a 13-8 lead in the second as China scored seven consecutive points. The Americans fell behind, 5-2 and 10-4, in the final game and were never in it.

Liley, a former Arizona State and Ocean View High standout, led the Americans with 14 kills, and Elaine Youngs finished with 11.

Youngs, a former All-American at UCLA and El Toro High, also finished with a team-high four aces. But her four errors in the second game were costly, and the United States struggled to get the ball set to her all night.

“The other night, Elaine was unstoppable,” Liley said, “but tonight she wasn’t. We have to work at being more consistent.

“I think it hurts that our veteran players aren’t here. Elaine is a great player, but she needs Tara, Elaina, and Teee here to help.”