Mol, A._Sørum, C. vs. Alayo_Diaz - Quarter Final Highlights _ Rio de Janeiro 2025 #BeachProTour

We are in the historic beaches of Copacabana, the host of the 2016 Rio Olympics, and it is time for men's quarterfinal action. The sun is shining. Couldn't be better weather for some men's quarterfinal. Cuba in the white. It is Norway in the black tops. And good cover to start things off here for the Cubans. Goodness. A massive rip. What an angle from Nossler. Short serve. Overhead. What a high rip from Aliyah. Norway were going to build up, and they didn't do their running early to the net. Aliyah out of the middle. Nice tap down from Aliyah, taking some of that speed off and going with the direction. That calm side out that we know and love. Aliyah a little off. No problem for Aliyah as he hammers one into the VIP tent. Such a big windscreen wiper block into such an angle that he's created for himself. Eleven serving nine. Stay on Sorum. Sorum out of the middle. There's a good heat from Christian Sorum, and he's a little slow to get up. He has to make those adjustments. 10-11, so the quick 6-1 start from Cuba has shifted, and there is the block from all he said. Are you guys talking about that Aliyah's leading me in blocks? I can hear you. What kind of curve do I need to get Anders released? Such a good point, because people always calibrate the sand before they're served. Not that often before the pass. Oh, my. And speaking of calibrating, 13 serving 12. First lead here for the Volley Vikings. Nosslin, there's a good shot there, Denise, like you said. Just kind of trying to keep Anders out of the picture a little bit with some of that shot making. So the craft across the court would have been the answer, but he went for the big rip, and he was just out of system to be able to do that kind of move. Sorum. Across court there off the tape, and Aliyah frustrated with Diaz. He wants him there. That's a great point. One of our pet peeves, I think, at least mine. Perfect serve from Volley. You're putting a certain kind of spin in it, and you're using all of the conditions. This one closer to Aliyah, and Aliyah climbing that ladder for that swing down the line. They're mixing it up as well. They're going to go the way of Moll. That is massive to Anders Moll. He fades to the left, still finds the height-to-go angle. Aliyah overhead. Good crack from Aliyah. Just kind of using the flow there and sneaking it under the block. 21-all to the middle. Moll, quick line. Lots of room to work with there for Anders. Third set point. Quick serve down the line. It's going to be an overpass kill for Anders Moll, doing all the work on that final point. Phenomenal serve down the line. Really, really difficult to receive. We know that is the problem area. They were targeting it relentlessly, and Anders finally caught it. Good pace there, but handled well from Moll. Another rip from Anders Moll, who looks very comfortable right now inside out. It's the long game. If you're playing the long game, you've got to play every single time at him. That's where you get potentially a wearing down of Anders. Short serve. Aliyah, no approach, no problem for Jorge Aliyah. I'm pretty sure he can jump just as high off of just a step close. Too much pressure, and the snap from Anders in that situation Inside set for Diaz. Anders goes right with it, but leaves enough space down the line. His elbow up early, and then he waits for Anders to move, and then finds the line. High set for Moll, and a little early on that approach, and there is Aliyah getting in the way of the swinging of Anders Moll. For serving five, Moll has been very comfortable from that side on the serve. Good read from Sorum sliding in, but just a little too spicy from Aliyah. Seven apiece. Much different start here to set number two. Aliyah, lob set out wide. Aliyah, just enough room in the line. He loves to hit that ball. As opposed to using the shoulder and the back and everything else, it allows him to stall that hit. And the tricky part of that short serve, as Anders figures out there, is that it makes for that easy option from Noslin. He hangs with Noslin-Diaz, but Moll holding on. Out wide, Aliyah. There's a nice change up from Aliyah. That one's going to land in. Like this talk from Aliyah, looking at Noslin, saying, hey, this is what I want. Short serve to Moll. Quick snap from Moll. What an angle there of barely any approach. Brack give himself some wind. I'd love to see Noslin go for some big serves, you know, using the wind, the crosswind. Inside set, Aliyah snapping it to the line there. And that quick set kind of forces Norway to make a quick decision defensively. Doesn't get the read. He'll take his earnings a little bit further away. Sorum, nice dig from Diaz. This is a little bit tight, but Aliyah wins that joust there. It's been quiet defensively for Diaz. He comes up with a big one. Two around the ball would have been the answer, but Jorge on the service line. Sorum, the second time. That has been his bread and butter in this match. The flat spatch to the seam. They're all knotted up, 17 apiece, with the service pressure from Noslin. And now on into the block of Diaz at the side. Out blows continue for the Vikings. Generates so much power. Such good RPMs. There it is again. What a set from Sorum. Are you kidding me? Huge save on that tight pass. Absolutely incredible. Slower serve, just targeting Anders. Tight ball into the box of Aliyah. Aliyah has come alive here late in the second, and they have their first set point. Right back to Anders. Big swing here. Anders trying to go high and over, but they're going to get the touch. Anders pointing to Aliyah, but Osvaldo sees it. Start of set number three in our first men's quarterfinal. Aliyah out of the middle. And Aliyah, he's gotten Anders a couple times with that swing, but this time just sharp enough around. Christian's going into that line, and he couldn't get there in time. Short serve from Nosslin. Small overhead, off speed. Nosslin is there. In transition, this is where he is deadly. Unequipped 2-0 start for Cuba. Send it out to the pin, so that's really good by Cuba, making Anders at the max work of his potential. There's tight ball. There is Aliyah. Oh, goodness. He's turned into a monster right now. Different context. Funny how that works, though, but that is the coach's nightmare right there, missing the serve after the timeout. Diaz high over the top of Anders' ball. Unbelievable. It is outrageous, as Damian So would say. Diaz just 23 years young. Sorum takes his look, and that one is going to be good. Little confusion there for Cuba. Better believe Cuba's just going to continue to attack. That tape, struggle on this pass. It's a tight play at the net. Trying to recycle is Anders, but it's going to be a stuff for Aliyah. He's definitely not comfortable with how it feels. He's sort of taken a bit of that out, and he's got a long, straggling bit hanging around. Yeah, and sometimes that tape can be so firm, you lose some of that range of motion of your thumb, which is such a crucial part of your range in that one. It doesn't matter, tape or no tape, Aliyah says, give me all that. Getting the error from Christian because he made him work. Anders up and down. High line swing, Aliyah says, that's okay. It's a good swing, on to the next. Right now, he's got to ramp it up. He's not being served. What can he do from the service line? No slid. Out of the middle. Good read from Sorum. Sorum with nobody up. Diaz with the scoopy. And Diaz delivers, goodness me. Noslin Diaz coming up clutch. Norway one in two before, but now Cuba piling on the pressure. Short line or deep line poke. Noslin is there early. And Noslin with the deep wrap to the angle, and now Cuba have a ton of match points. And Moll shanking the pass for the ace. Unbelievable. Huge win for Cuba.