US setter Jordyn Poulter recovers from serious knee injury to lead Americans into Olympic semifinals

PARIS (AP) — Moments before match point of the Olympic quarterfinals, Jordyn Poulter punched herself in the outer thigh.

It wasn't a motivational tactic — she's plenty good at getting herself fired up. No, the American setter was making sure blood kept flowing around her surgically repaired left knee, covered by an enormous black brace.

It has been 19 months since Poulter crumbled to the floor while playing in Italy, knowing instantly she was seriously hurt.

“I had never been in so much pain in my life,” she said.

Which is why her entire left leg still needs some extra TLC.

“This whole chain with the extent of the damage that was done in my knee, sometimes it gets a little tight, so I just hit it to get it loose,” she said.

It's a little like the thoughtful care she received for months during her daunting comeback. At times, she would have six coaches working her out at once, something coach Karch Kiraly acknowledges with a chuckle was “what any American club would call private lessons."

A devastating knee injury

In December 2022 while playing for her Italian club, Poulter suffered a devastating knee injury that required surgery. She tore the ACL, MCL, posterior cruciate ligament and meniscus.

All this after she hurt an ankle in the final match of Olympic pool play against Italy at Tokyo three years ago but played through it. Then, in summer 2022, she got her gold medal stolen from her car but later recovered it.

This is a redemption of sorts for Poulter, who finally felt at full strength again in March. She helped the Americans defeat Poland in straight sets Tuesday to move into the semifinal round Thursday against Brazil — a rematch of the Tokyo Games gold-medal match the Americans won for the program's first ever gold.

“There’s a little chip on the shoulder, for sure,” she said. “All the time and effort that not only I spent but all the people who love and care about me spent to get me back to where I can compete at the Olympics in the semifinal match, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

A constant reminder

The U.S. captain has a constant reminder of everything she endured to even make it back for the Paris Olympics: that big, bulky brace.

It hardly seems to hinder her game. Kiraly and the medical staff didn't know until Day 1 at these Olympics whether Poulter could even play a full match. They'd never had a chance to test her, despite knowing Poulter had put so much into improving her fitness and conditioning leading up to Paris.

She was named best setter at the Tokyo Olympics three years ago. Poulter turned 27 on July 31 after the Paris Games were underway.

“I always felt that I could get back to where I wanted to be. I didn’t know if it would be the same version of myself as before or not,” she said. “But that’s what we do as athletes, we adapt and adjust."

Announced first among the U.S. starters during pregame introductions, Poulter runs onto the court with her arms swaying in the air. She was born in Illinois and raised in Colorado before returning to her home state to attend the University of Illinois.

“She's a stud. People don't understand all the work she did for 19 months,” Kiraly said. “It brings goosebumps and tears to my eyes with all the lonely work that she did.”

The day she was injured, Poulter leapt in the air and at full extension, she felt the ACL pop — “I thought the other middle blocker had kicked me, so it felt like my knee got jolted back, then on the landing my knee was hyperextended and couldn't find its place or space and everything else kind of went."

“Obviously proud of the physical side of things, and that's a lot of quiet work behind the scenes,” teammate Andrea Drews said. “She's done a really good job this tournament. It doesn't look or feel maybe how she wants it to all the time, but that doesn't mean it's bad or wrong. Different is OK.”

The milestones are piling up

Kiraly kept close track of every little success along the way, from when Poulter first began jumping again to when she could finally play 6-on-6 in the spring.

“Oh he's been invested with me every step of the way,” she said. “He even knows some of the dates. I don't even know some of the dates. He can pull up milestones like it's nothing.”

Her teammates can't quite believe how far Poulter has come, with her spirt intact.

“To have everything torn in your knee and come back like a year and a half later and play in the Olympic Games is unreal,” outside hitter Kathryn Plummer said. “She's changed her lifestyle to get her back where she needs to be. For her to be here and to lead this team, it's just a testament of the person she is, too. She's just a very solid, stable person. That's what our team needs."

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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games