BEIJING — Honolulu's Lindsey Berg served the U.S. women's volleyball team to leads of 8-0 and 5-0 in the fourth and fifth sets, respectively, to help the fourth-ranked Americans rally for a 20-25, 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, 15-6 victory over second-ranked Italy Tuesday in an Olympic Games quarterfinal match at Beijing's Capital Gymnasium.

The U.S. advances to the semifinals Thursday (6:30 p.m. Wednesday in Hawai'i) against third-ranked Cuba, which defeated Serbia 26-24, 25-19, 26-24. Team USA is looking to reach the Olympic medal stand for the first time since 1992 (bronze in 1992, silver in 1984).

The U.S. volleyball team features three former University of Hawai'i players in Robyn Ah Mow-Santos, Heather Bown and Kim Willoughby. Berg is a Punahou School graduate who played collegiately at Minnesota. Logan Tom is from Salt Lake City, Utah, but her late father, Mel, was a star high school athlete in Hawai'i and played in the NFL.

"I can't even describe how we feel, but we are happy," team captain Ah Mow-Santos said. "We had a couple meetings earlier today, and we knew this was going to be a difficult match. We have been the underdogs against Italy the last four or five times. The 12 of us said this was going to be a team effort, and it was a big team effort. I am going to have to give props to Lindsey Berg for coming in and firing up the team big time."

"For the last four years, we have not won over Italy," U.S. coach Lang Ping said. "It is a great team, very consistent with great defensive passing. It is hard to find a weakness. We have been thinking very hard the last two days how to play Italy. We did a great job technically preparing for Italy. This competition is very tight. You either win and keep going, or you lose and you're out."

China beat Russia, 25-22, 27-25, 25-19, and will face the world's top-ranked team, Brazil, which swept Japan 25-12, 25-20, 25-16 in the other quarterfinal match.

Italy won the first set, breaking away from a 15-all tie with a 7-2 run. Team USA bounced back in the second set, rallying from a 17-15 deficit to win 25-21. Italy jumped to an 11-3 lead in Game 3 and pushed to 18-9 before holding off a 7-2 American surge to win Game 3.

"In the third set when we were behind, we tried to make a few position changes," Lang Ping said. "I think it was very successful, and I would like to congratulate my players."

The U.S. maintained the momentum from late in the third set by scoring the first eight points of the fourth set on Berg's serve en route to an easy victory. Berg took the service line to start the final game and served the first five points to help the U.S. win quickly.

Tom led the U.S. attack with 14 kills, three blocks and two aces for 19 points. Danielle Scott-Arruda, playing in her fourth Olympics and in search of her first medal, racked up 15 kills on 20 attacks to go with two blocks for 17 points. Tayyiba Haneef-Park totaled 17 points on 12 kills, four blocks and an ace.

Bown, a two-time first-team All-American while at UH in 1998-99, added nine kills, three blocks and an ace.

Willoughby, a three-time first-team All-American while at UH and national Player of the Year in 2003, came off the bench to spark the Americans with nine kills on 14 attacks, without an error. Kim Glass contributed eight points. Berg, who started the last two sets after subbing in the first three, tallied three aces and a block. Nicole Davis led the defense with 10 digs. Ah Mow-Santos, a McKinley High alum who was a first-team All-American at UH in 1995 and '96, handed out 23 assists, while Berg chipped in 21 off the bench.

"My congratulations to the USA team," Italian head coach Massimo Barbolini said. "They deserved to win. Team USA demonstrated a high level, and it is a strong team. Particularly when they are in difficulty, they have ways to respond to the situation. Also, our errors helped them."

Team USA held commanding advantages of 15-6 in blocks and 7-2 in aces to help offset 24 points provided to Italy on errors.

"I have been through so many big competitions and the finals of major competitions," Lang Ping said. "I actually really cheer and congratulate my players. I am very proud of them."

Until yesterday's match, the U.S. had never played Italy during the Olympic Games and was winless in five matches against the Italians at other tournaments during the current Olympic quadrennial.

The route through the Olympic Games has been an emotional roller coaster for the American squad. On its first day of competition on Aug. 9, Team USA was informed of the tragic death of Todd Bachman, father-in-law of the coach of the U.S. men's volleyball team and father of 2004 U.S. Olympic volleyball player Elisabeth "Wiz" Bachman. Less than five hours of learning of the death, the team won an emotion-filled four-set match over Japan. However, the team suffered a letdown the following match on Aug. 11 against Cuba before bouncing back to defeat Venezuela on Aug. 13. Team USA played its best match of the tournament on Aug. 15 in defeating host China. It concluded the five-match round-robin pool with a five-set come-from-behind victory over Poland.