France Outlasts U.S. in World League Debut : Volleyball: Americans rally at Forum, but Frenchmen use their experience to win match in five games.

After winning the last two Olympics, the U.S. national volleyball team is rebuilding after losing most of its top players.

Only three players remain from the 1988 Olympic team: Scott Fortune, John Root and Troy Tanner.

Apparently Coach Bill Nevill, who succeeded Coach Marv Dunphy, has his work cut out for him in rebuilding the United States.

France defeated the United States in the opening match of the new World League, 15-11, 15-10, 14-16, 13-15, 17-16, Sunday night before an announced crowd of 2,588 fans at the Forum. The teams meet again tonight at the Forum.

France rallied from an 8-2 deficit in the fifth game by outscoring the United States 14-10 in the no-side-out sudden death game. Philippe Salvan, who had 43 kills, scored the game point on a spike to give France the match.

“We were up 8-2 and we couldn’t out them away,” Nevill moaned. “But France is more mature than we are.”

France, which had six players from its eighth-place 1988 Olympic team, avenged a 17-5, 15-6, 15-13 loss to the United States at the Seoul Games. Christophe Meneau and Oliver Rossard led France with 22 kills apiece. Meneau also had eight blocks.

After losing the first two games, the United States won the next two to force a fifth and deciding game. Root, who had 44 kills, led the comeback.

Although pleased by his team’s rally, Nevill was worried by its inconsistency.

“We’re a young team so we’re kind of unpredictable,” Nevill said. “We’re capable of playing very well and we’re also capable of going in the deep tank. We have a team of middle relievers.

“We’re a real young team, so we don’t have guys that can go the distance night after night after night. If you’re a mature team, you can play all night long. But when you have a young team, you kind of wish there was a clock so you can run it out.

“We just don’t have a group of guys that can go for three hours and play a real high level. We have a tendency to go up and down the graph.”

France looked ready to put the match away after taking a 9-1 lead in the fourth game, but the United States rallied for a 15-13 victory to send the match into overtime.

“I was pleased that we were down two games and we fought back,” Nevill said. “We’re demonstrating that we can play the game at a high level.”