Beijing.– A U.S. women's volleyball team struck by tragedy just hours earlier beat Japan in an emotional Olympic opener marred by murder of an ex-player's father.

The team took the court Saturday after learning of the stabbing death of Todd Bachman, father of former Olympian Elisabeth Bachman McCutcheon. He was attacked by a knife-wielding man at a popular tourist site in Beijing. Her mother was seriously injured by the attacker, who jumped to his death from a balcony of the Drum Tower, an ancient landmark the Americans were visiting.

"It's hard to put it in words," a tearful U.S. player Logan Tom said after the match. "That's not something that's supposed to happen."

The tragedy hung over the game, in which the Americans defeated Japan 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-19, 25-21), in the first match of preliminary play at the Capital Indoor Stadium.