RIO DE JANEIRO -- Taylor Sander leapt high for timely blocks. He went low for a save at floor level to keep a winning point going. Then, he squatted way down to send another tough ball back over the net.At last, the U.S. mens volleyball team is playing the very brand of volleyball the Americans knew they had in them to make a special run at the Olympics. It just took a few days longer than expected to get going and find a winning groove.They reached the quarterfinals Monday after that slow start, victors in their third straight match to conclude pool play by dominating Mexico 25-23, 25-11, 25-19. Canada, playing in its first Olympics since 1992 in Barcelona, also advanced after beating Italy in four sets for its first victory against the first-place pool A winner in major competition and hand the Italians their first loss in Rio. Laster, Brazil beat France in four sets.Sanders kill from the left side on match point sealed it for the U.S. He is one of several among the teams eight first-time Olympians to make vast improvements the past three matches.We all had to pick it up, Sander said. Those first two matches, we werent playing USA Volleyball. We werent aggressive, we werent giving our heart every single point. Our coaching staff did a good job holding us accountable. We had a couple team meetings. We all just sat and talked about what we needed to do to win. We talked about it, then we went and did it.The 24-year-old Sander, who had struggled with an aggressive but inconsistent serve in the initial two contests, was stellar defensively for the fifth-ranked Americans. He also has been growing a mustache for the Olympics -- not so much out of superstition but because his teammates wont allow him or Kawika Shoji to shave the way things have turned around in Rio de Janeiro.Were going red polos and mustaches apparently, U.S. coach John Speraw joked of the facial hair and coaches red shirts worn on match day.Sander took it upon himself to find ways to relax away from Maracanazinho arena. He has been swimming with teammates at the Navy School where the Americans train or watching other sports on TV to keep from feeling any added pressure.Him articulating that is really nice to see that he has that kind of awareness about where he was and what he needed to do in order to improve, Speraw said. Hes learning the challenges of the mental game when put under great duress and hes never experienced this before. For him to have experienced that, recognized it, learned what he needed to do in order to perform better and then come out and execute is a wonderful long-term lesson.What a dramatic turnaround in a weeks time for Sander and the young Americans, greeted by chants of U-S-A! when they entered for pregame warmups to face eliminated Mexico (0-5).After losses to Canada and Italy to begin the tournament, the U.S. stunned host Brazil in four sets then topped France in another four-setter Saturday.Reid Priddy, in his fourth Olympics, is relishing watching how far the kids have come in Rio.The enormity of the Olympic Games requires a 24-hour learning curve. Weve been able to respond after those first two matches, the 38-year-old Priddy said. In fact, I think it put us right in the mentality of where we need to be. ...Were almost more prepared now to face this quarterfinal match than we would have been had we swept 5-0. Cheap Vapormax For Sale . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Nike Vapormax Plus Wholesale . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. http://www.cheapvapormaxtrainers.com/ . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Cheap Vapormax . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. Cheap Authentic Vapormax . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Great Britain swatted aside recent controversies to show the future is bright with five gold medals at the Track World Cup in Glasgow.The only sign of trouble came when Katie Archibald and Manon Lloyd crashed before responding to win womens Madison gold on Saturday -- despite a fractured wrist for Archibald and concussion for Lloyd.And, after the team pursuit squads triumphs on Fridays opening day, Emily Kay won the new-look omnium on Sunday, when the mens team sprint squad of Jack Carlin, Ryan Owens and Joe Truman were also victorious at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.It saw Britain top the medal table at the opening Track World Cup of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic cycle -- with the rest of the world looking on with envy once more.Shane Sutton resigned as British Cycling technical director 100 days prior to the Rio Olympics, ending a 15-year association, amid allegations of discrimination which he continues to deny. Britain won six of 10 track titles in Rio despite the controversy.Sutton was last month found to have used inappropriate and discriminatory language towards Jess Varnish, effectively ending hope of a return to the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.An independent review into the culture of the world-class performance programme is ongoing -- and so it seems is the talent production line, which is sure to attract candidates to the vacant role of performance director.Archibald was the only active member of Britains Olympic squad competing here.The 22-year-old from Milngavie, north of Glasgow, won Olympic team pursuit gold in August with Joanna Rowsell-Shand, Elinor Barker and Laura Trott [now Kenny after her marriage to six-time Olympic champion Jason Kenny in September].That was despite an injury-interrupted build-up which saw Archibald miss Marchs Track World Championships in London with knee and elbow injuries sustained in a motorbike accident.Now she will see a specialist in Manchester on Monday and faces another spell of rehabilitation. This time she was able to laugh it off.I thought Im not going to go to A&E on a Saturday night, Bonfire Night, its going to be hell, she said. I couldnt sleep. I waited until what I thought was definitely the next day and not the previous day and went off to A&E.dddddddddddd.Archibald was able to greet fans before the final session.Most people have been really glad that its not my autograph hand thats hurt but it was just a lot of get well soons, she added.Of more serious concerns for Archibald and her established teammates is the battle for their places, now there is upward pressure from a promising crop of talented riders.Kay, the most senior member of the team pursuit squad which won on Friday, won her second gold of the three-day event with a mature and composed ride in the new-look omnium.Laura Kenny won a second Olympic title in the event in Rio, when it featured three timed and three bunch disciplines over two days, while Archibald won the European title in the revised format -- of four bunch races in one day -- last month.Kay was fourth in the opening scratch race, second in the tempo race and second in the elimination race to sit second entering the concluding points race.The 21-year-old from Bromsgrove was six points behind Japans Yumi Kajihara, but overcame that margin and then held off the challenge from behind as Belgiums Lotte Kopecky finished one point adrift.For the first World Cup in the cycle, to win gold is better than I could have imagined, Kay said.Britain have won the last three Olympics in the three-rider, three-lap mens team sprint but no world title since 2005.That might soon change as Carlin, Owens and Truman showed there is strength in depth behind Rio gold medallists Phil Hindes, Jason Kenny and Callum Skinner.The trio won in 43.479 seconds, with France second, and now compete at next weeks Track World Cup in Apeldoorn, Holland.Owens, an unused Rio Olympics reserve, said: Were such a unit together, were friends on and off the track. We were third in qualifying but we just got better and better as the day went on.We just went out there and enjoyed the environment with the home crowd and it came out the best way possible. ' ' '