Robyn Ah Mow-Santos told herself she would not watch Team USA’s quest to win its first Olympic gold medal in women’s volleyball.

"Worried I would go into depression mode," said Ah Mow-Santos, the Americans’ starting setter at the last three Olympics.

Tuesday, she found herself pulled into the marathon quarterfinal between Brazil and Russia. She left the TV on to see the U.S. blitz the Dominican Republic. She admits she has watched every match she has found.

"I’m just excited, yelling at the TV," the former University of Hawaii All-American and current assistant coach says. "I’m excited for the team, that it’s doing so well. They are all great girls."

Ah Mow-Santos hesitates. "I miss it though," she says.

Team USA goes into its Thursday semifinal against South Korea as the only unbeaten team. It is 29-1 this year and ranked No. 1 in the world. It means little if the gold medal remains elusive. The Americans fell in the final to Brazil four years ago. They also won silver in Los Angeles in 1984 and bronze in 1992.

This team is dramatically younger than the group Ah Mow-Santos and Punahou graduate Lindsey Berg captained in Beijing. Logan Tom and libero Nicole Davis are the only returning starters.

Berg is back, after backing up Ah Mow-Santos four years ago. She took herself out of the final pool-play match with an ankle injury. She didn’t play Tuesday, saying only "ice, rest, massage and hope for the best." But coach Hugh McCutcheon and Ah Mow-Santos expect her back soon.

"On her Facebook page she’s saying she’s OK," Ah Mow-Santos said. "She’s a fighter."

Berg’s father, Dennis, is one of Dave Shoji’s closest friends. He got the UH coach volleyball tickets when Shoji made a last-minute decision to go to his first Olympics. Shoji returned Friday, talking about crossing items off his bucket list and spending time with former players Jen Carey, Laura Phillips Alford, Aven Lee and Tehani Miyashiro — whose sister Tamari is a defensive specialist for the U.S. team.

He saw strategies he hopes to work into his offense, from watching the men and women. He also saw enough of Berg, Miyashiro, Tom and their teammates to know they have a shot at gold.

"They’ve got so much firepower," Shoji says. "They’ve got every option, don’t have a weak position. What remains to be seen is how they play when it is really, really on the line. (Jordan) Larson and (Christa) Harmotto and (Destinee) Hooker too …they don’t have hundreds of international games. But physically they’ve got what it takes."