Torn and Mixed Emotions

Hugh McCutcheon missed a good portion of his volleyball team's celebration Sunday.

Seconds after the United States beat Brazil for its first Olympic men's championship in 20 years, McCutcheon quickly hugged his assistant coaches. Then, his face stained with tears, he ducked into the closest tunnel.

It was only fitting that Clayton Stanley, the Americans' leading scorer in the tournament, had the winning spike that ended Brazil's gold medal hopes in the 3-1 win.

It was equally fitting and completely understandable why McCutcheon needed a few moments to compose himself when it was over.

It was only 15 days earlier - - the day after the Opening Ceremony - that McCutcheon's father-in-law, Todd Bachman, was fatally stabbed and his mother-in-law, Barbara, was critically injured in a knife attack while sightseeing at the Drum Tower in Beijing.

McCutcheon missed his team's first three games in Beijing while he and his family grieved. The Americans won every one of those games, despite an early tournament scare from Venezuela, and they won their next five games as well to finish the tournament 8-0.

"When the final points went it in, it dawned on me that we just won the thing," McCutcheon said. "I grabbed my staff. They've been so instrumental in our success. For the first three matches of this tournament, they won without me. They did a wonderful job.

"After I shook the coaches hands, it was a little too much. It was all starting to sink in, and I had to step out and collect my thoughts and collect my emotions and come back out. It's a very meaningful moment. Obviously, this is the best of times and the worst of times. But I'm going to delve into both those emotions and embrace them accordingly."

McCutcheon's players, as close as they are to their coach, couldn't begin to comprehend what the man had been through the last 15 days.

"It would be hard for me to describe his emotions, but I'm sure he was overwhelmed by everything," Richard Lambourne said. "It's not only what happened on the volleyball court, something we've put our heart and soul into for the last four years, but certainly the tragedy that his entire family had at the beginning of these Games.

"I'm so happy he was able to be here and experience this, because he's a major part if not the biggest part of our team and its soul. In light of what happened on the court, I'm ecstatic that he was able to be here on the court with us to celebrate. "

The volleyball victory, coupled with the men's basketball championship three hours later, gave the U.S. a total of 110 medals at the Beijing Games, the most medals it has ever won at a full- participation, non-boycotted Games.

This last volleyball game didn't come easily for the Americans.

Brazil won the first game, 25-20, before the U.S. won the next three, 25-22, 25-21 and 25-23. Close as it was, the championship game came right on the heels of close 3-2 victories in the quarterfinals and semis.

"We were just in the locker room, sitting round and saying ‘What even happened on the last play?'" Fred Priddy said. "We all forgot.

Today was a lot about trying to stay in the moment, point to point. I think both teams are very exhausted. It's been a grueling tournament,.

I don't know how many hours of sleep I've gotten in the last five days. We just tried to grind it out.

"Even when balls hit the floor, we were trying to encourage each other: ‘Even if you can't get it, run after it. Show each other that we don't want to see a ball drop.' Teamwork helped us pull it out. I'm shocked. I'm excited. When they were playing our anthem, it's something you dream about as a kid."

Still, they will never truly understand the emotional ride taken the last 15 days by the soft-spoken man they call Coach.

"He'll be the first to tell you that winning won't bring Todd back," Priddy said. "This is a goal that he and his family have invested their lives in just like we have. I know this is an incredible special moment for us. He's really helped guide and direct this team.

"I'm so happy he was able to stay around and stick with us, and we send our love out to the Bachmans back home. We can't wait to get home and celebrate with everybody."