meanwhile there's plenty of pressure on the russian women's volleyball team as of kinnick off side a face to the challenge of bringing home the first olympic gold since ninety eight . before it's. the women of the soviet union were well used to dominating competition at the net winning for gold from one nine hundred sixty eight to nine hundred eighty eight but they've been deprived of the best spot on the podium since then unable to rise above second place in one thousand nine hundred to two thousand and two thousand and four the team finished outside the top four in the ensuing two thousand and eight games in beijing this year russia fielding one of the veteran teams at the games with an average age of twenty eight six players on the team also participated in either greece or in china the squad also monks the most physically imposing a seven players measuring taller than one hundred ninety centimeters cuba are sure to be amongst russia's main rivals the country taking the baton from the soviet union by winning it all in barcelona atlanta and sydney two time gold medalist china and t