oach Scott Brooks will be tasked with getting Wall, 25, and Beal, 23

The two-time defending Olympic champion Brazil women are chasing a golden three-peat on home soil this summer. The top-ranked Americans are seeking redemption in Rio and their first gold ever.This is the rivalry to watch in the womens volleyball tournament.The Americans expected to win gold four years ago in London and instead were stunned by the Brazilians, who captured their second straight Olympic title.Now, the Brazilian women have home court, so beating them in Rio would be even more monumental.And coach Karch Kiralys close-knit U.S. squad believes it has built the right mix to challenge for the top spot on the podium this August in Rio de Janeiro. The Americans have developed a culture they are counting on being the right one.Ive never seen anybody win a competition like the Olympics without getting through massive adversity along the way, and the way you do that is to have the team that fights really hard for each other and makes each other better and adds up to more than the sum of their parts, Kiraly said. When our adversity came at us, it wasnt until the final match of the Olympics and we werent powerful enough. We didnt add up to enough more than the sum of our parts to be able to withstand the storm that came at us.The American women have dealt with challenges already preparing for Rio. They had to get there the hard way -- through a second-chance qualifier in January at Lincoln, Nebraska, after losing twice at last years World Cup in Japan for bronze, with the top two teams securing their spots then for Rio.Brazil coach Jose Roberto Guimaraes led the mens team to gold at the 1992 Barcelona Games and then the women the past two Olympics, and he has several players from both of those winning teams back for the run right at home in Rio.The Brazilian women would become the first to capture three straight gold medals in womens volleyball since Cuba in 1992, `96 and 2000. China won in 2004 at Athens.Kiralys team will be in the same six-team pool with China just as it was in London. The Americans beat China in the 2014 world championship, while China won last years World Cup in Japan.Here are some things to watch in the Rio Games volleyball tournament, which became part of the Olympic program in 1964:NO LONDON SWEEP: The Brazilian men were so close to making it a sweep of the top podium spot in London, then Dimitriy Muserskiy and Russia changed the plan. The Russians captured their first mens volleyball gold in 32 years with a comeback five-set victory, even saving two match points in the third set for a 19-25, 20-25, 29-27, 25-22, 15-9 victory.Former Brazil captain Gilberto Godoy Filho, known as Giba, was one of the games most celebrated stars who led Brazil to gold in Athens. He said farewell in London after 16 years with the national team.FORMAT: In both the mens and womens tournaments, there will be two six-nation pools with the top four from each advancing.The pools were divided based on teams with the highest world ranking as of Jan. 1 being placed first into Pool B after host Brazil was automatically put into Pool A.On the womens side, Serbia returns to the Olympics for the first time since 2008 in Beijing.YOUTH MOVEMENT: U.S. mens coach John Speraw has embraced a youth movement with the Americans, choosing eight first-time Olympians to his roster to join veterans such as four-time Olympian Reid Priddy and David Lee headed to his third Olympics.This group won the 2014 World League title and last years World Cup, so those championships alone have helped the U.S. gain valuable experience on the world stage.For us to have been at the top of the podium a couple times this quad, it does give a young team confidence they can win a tournament, Speraw said. Certainly thats our goal. They believe they can do that. They believe they can win a gold in Rio.RUSSIAN SCANDAL: The meldonium doping scandal that has tainted many Russian athletes, including tennis star Maria Sharapova, extended to volleyball, too. Russia outside hitter Alexander Markin tested positive for the substance in January following the semifinal match against Germany at the 2016 European Olympic Qualification tournament. Markin was temporarily suspended while the FIVB, volleyballs international governing body, considered the case. The FIVB found that Markin committed an anti-doping rule violation but bore no fault or negligence in this case and reinstated him. The panel also found that the amount of meldonium in Markins sample was so small that it likely did not enhance his performance, and therefor did not impact Russias qualification for the Rio Games.DONT COUNT OUT CHINA: While much of the focus in Rio will be on the battle between the U.S. and host favorite Brazil, the Chinese womens national team could surprise everyone. China is ranked No. 2 under coach Jenny Lang Ping -- the former U.S. coach who led the Americans to silver in Beijing. Lang Ping was known as the Iron Hammer during her playing days, and helped guide the Chinese women to victory in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. She stepped down as coach of the Americans shortly after the Beijing Games to devote more time to her family, but took Chinas top post in 2013. Earlier this year, Lang Ping married Wang Yucheng, a religious studies professor.RUSSIAN WOMEN REGROUP: The Russian women have had to heal during this four-year cycle, and now they will chase their first Olympic medal since earning silver at the 2004 Athens Games.After failing to medal at the London Olympics after coming into the tournament as a contender, the Russian women suffered an unimaginable loss.Their coach, Sergei Ovchinnikov, died at age 43 while working at a training camp in Croatia only a couple of weeks later. Russia lost in the quarterfinals in London to Brazil.---AP Sports Writer Anne M. Peterson contributed to this report. Wholesale Fake Jerseys . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Fake Jerseys Free Shipping .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. https://www.fakejersey.com/ . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Fake Jerseys Website . Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career. Fake Jerseys .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Familiarity doesnt always breed friendship, and thats something Washington Wizards stars John Wall and Bradley Beal are hoping to finally smooth over heading into this season.Though theyve been paired together since Beals rookie season of 2012, Wall and Beal admit they havent exactly found common ground yet.I think a lot of times we have a tendency to dislike each other on the court. ... Weve got to be able to put that to the side, Wall, the 2010 No. 1 overall pick, told Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. If you miss somebody on one play or dont have something go right ... as long as you come to each other and talk. If I start arguing with somebody Im cool. Im just playing basketball.Beal agreed with the root of the pairs problem.Sometimes I think we both lose sight of the fact that we need each other, Beal told the network. I wouldnt be in the situation Im in without John. John wouldnt be in the situation hes in without me, without the rest of the team. It goes hand-in-hand, so its kind of a pride thing. Weve got to [hash] out our pride, figure out what our goals are individually, help each other achieve those goals, figure out what our team goal is, where do we see ourselves five years frrom now, 10 years from now and go from there.dddddddddddd.The team goal is to rebound from a 41-41 season that saw the Wizards go from being a team on the rise in the Eastern Conference to missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. New Washington coach Scott Brooks will be tasked with getting Wall, 25, and Beal, 23, on the same page.I think with Coach Brooks coming in, hes going to hold everybody accountable, starting with me, Wall said. Just make sure everybody know what their role is. If everybody buys into their role, well be fine.Part of the problem, according to Beal, might be that he and Wall are so alike.Its tough because were both alphas, Beal said. Its always tough when you have two guys who firmly believe in themselves, who will bet on themselves against anybody else, who want to be that guy. We both can be that guy.With Beal signing a five-year, $128 million max contract this offseason and Wall in the middle of an $80 million deal that runs through the 2018 season, the two still have time to get things on track in D.C. ' ' '