Some high and lows for local athletes in Olympics

BEIJING — The U.S. men’s volleyball team, which includes former Corona del Mar High standout Kevin Hansen and UC Irvine Coach John Speraw, remained undefeated with a thrilling five-game victory over Serbia Wednesday night in China.

The Americans overcame a 2-1 deficit in games to win, 20-25, 25-23, 21-25, 25-18, 15-12, and remained undefeated at 6-0. They’ll face Russia in the semifinals on Friday.

Newport Beach resident Rami Zur finished seventh in his semifinal heat of the 1,000-meter single kayak event Wednesday in China. He finished in 3 minutes, 46.204 seconds.

Zur, 31, competing in his third Olympics, advanced to the semifinals of the 500 flat water single kayak on Tuesday. He competed in the semifinals this morning.

Sharon Day, a Costa Mesa High product, was elminated in the qualifying rounds of the women’s high jump Thursday morning in China. She missed three attempts at 1.89 meters (6 feet, 2 1/4 inches). She cleared 1.80 meters (5-11) on her second try and went over 1.85 (6-1) on her first attempt.

Day, who won two CIF state titles in the high jump while at Costa Mesa and earned seven All-American honors at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, was competing in her first Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic men’s water polo team that includes four former UC Irvine All-Americans faces Serbia in a semifinal game Friday at 4:40 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time) at Yingdong Natatorium in Beijing.

It is Team USA’s first trip to the medal round since the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

All four ex-Anteaters have scored goals in the Olympics, led by Jeff Powers with five. Ryan Bailey and Tim Hutten have scored three goals each and Rick Merlo one as Team USA won Group B with a 4-1 record. Serbia was the only team to defeat the Americans in group play with a 4-2 win Aug. 14.

The other Olympic semifinal has Hungary meeting Montenegro at 3:20 a.m. (PST).

— From staff reports