Volleyball team honors victims, wins

The U.S. men's volleyball team, playing with energy and determination after the tragedy that shook them, defeated Italy 3-1 on Tuesday.

Still

without head coach Hugh McCutcheon, whose in-laws were attacked in

Beijing over the weekend, the U.S. team adjusted after a sluggish start

to win 24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 25-21.

A pall was cast over the U.S. volleyball team following the stabbing death of Todd Bachman, the father of former Olympian Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman McCutcheon.

Bachman's

wife, Barbara, was seriously injured in the attack at the Drum Tower, a

popular tourist site. The assailant jumped to his death from the tower.

The

U.S. men wanted somehow to pay tribute to McCutcheon's in-laws. So on

one shoe, they all wrote TB. On the other, they wrote BB.

It was admittedly a small gesture, but it was heartfelt.

"The

Olympics are normally very big, but something like this makes it seem

smaller. It's just sport," middle blocker Ryan Millar said. "I think

the guys are playing hard. They're doing it for Hugh, and they're doing

it for Wiz."

McCutcheon spoke to The Associated Press late

Monday. He has been comforting his wife, who played for the U.S. team

at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

"She has shown incredible strength.

The last couple of days we've been able to talk through it," McCutcheon

said. "Obviously it's a lot of tears and a lot of hugs."

Barbara Bachman's condition was upgraded on Monday from critical to serious but stable.

Ron