OLYMPICS REPORT / 33 DAYS TO THE GAMES : U.S. Women Fall to Brazil in Volleyball

Despite 17 kills by outside hitter Tara Cross-Battle, the U.S. women’s volleyball team lost to Brazil, 15-10, 15-11, 16-14, in the semifinals of the BCV Volley Cup in Montreux, Switzerland.

Brazil will meet Cuba, a 3-2 winner over China, in today’s final.

*

Mike Lambert had 23 kills to lead the U.S. men’s volleyball team to a 15-10, 13-15, 15-12, 15-11 victory over France in Fort Wayne, Ind. The United States (16-5) swept the three-match series.

*

Marie Peitit-Michel of Silver Springs, Md., defeated Laura Horton of Los Angeles, 15-9, to win the women’s Division II foil title in the U.S. Fencing Assn.’s national championships at Cincinnati.

*

Michelle Gibson took charge of the U.S. Olympic Dressage Trials with a huge lead over the rest of the field at Gladstone, N.J.

Gibson, of Roswell, Ga., scored 73.32% on her bay stallion, Peron, under a system in which scores are based on 100 percent for perfection.

Guenter Seidel of Encinitas, on Graf George, was second with 69.36%.

*

U.S. Olympic fighter Terrance Cauthen rallied to win his 132-pound bout as the Americans won five of nine bouts Friday night in a pre-Olympic match against Russia at Portland.

The U.S. team won the first three fights, led by Gerald Tucker’s 106-pound victory over Serguei Kazakov. Other U.S. winners were Eric Morel (112) of Madison, Wis., Zahir Raheem (119) of Philadelphia and Darnell Wilson (156) of Lafayette, Ind.

Fernando Vargas (147) of Oxnard failed to make the weight and lost in a walkover to Alexei Anaikin. Roshii Wells (165) of Riverdale, Ga., also failed to make the weight and lost to Serguei Mazeria.

*

The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games is offering refunds to angry fans who paid as much as 50% more than face value for tickets packaged as season passes.

Jack Tyson, ACOG’s director of ticketing. said refunds must be requested by the end of the month and must include all tickets in the package.