The 12-player U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team China Tour squad has found success against two top division club teams in the Chinese Volleyball League.
CNT-China opened its five-match slate with a five-set win over Shanghai Bright Ubest on Tuesday, before splitting matches with Zhejiang Jiaxing Xitang on Thursday and Friday.
The opening match was said to be an informal scrimmage after a practice session, but Team USA was in it to win it and did so 25-22, 17-25, 17-25, 25-20, 15-8.
Opposite Stephanie Samedy (18) and outsides Carlyle Nusbaum (13) and Thayer Hall (11) led the U.S. with double-digit scoring efforts.
“I told them in the middle of the match it’s no easy task what we’re doing,” head coach Chris Tamas said. “Trying to get 12 players who’ve never played together before, come together and play as a team. You have setters who’ve never set the hitters, passers who’ve never passed next to each other, and [you] still try to figure out how to win. We were able to do that today, and I was very proud that they were able to figure it out as the match went on.”
In the first match against Zhejiang Jiaxing Xitang, Samedy chipped in 15 points followed by Jenna Rosenthal‘s 11 point haul, but the team was done in by 34 miscues. Team USA committed nine service errors, 14 hitting errors and surrendered 11 aces in the 25-21, 18-25, 17-25, 21-25 loss.
In Friday’s rematch, the CNT turned things around with their serve, boasting a 9-2 lead in aces, including three by Rachael Kramer. Kramer also notched five kills, while Dana Rettke posted a team-high 10 points, including four stuffs. Team USA also won the battle at the net with a 13-2 lead in blocks en route to a 25-12, 25-23, 25-9 win.
Next up on the CNT-China slate is a Tuesday match against Beijing BAIC Motor in Beijing. The team wraps up its tour with a Wednesday contest against Hebei in Beijing.
Collegiate National Team-China Tour Roster
Name (Height, Position, School)
- T’ara Ceasar (6-1, OH, Georgia)
- Thayer Hall (6-3, OH, Florida)
- Taryn Kloth (6-4, OH, Creighton)
- Rachael Kramer (6-8, M, Florida)
- Rebecca Latham (6-4, OPP, Denver)
- Madison Lilley (5-11, S, Kentucky)
- Carlyle Nusbaum (5-10, OH, Lipscomb)
- Julia Patterson (5-11, S, Arizona)
- Dana Rettke (6-8, M, Wisconsin)
- Jenna Rosenthal (6-6, M, Marquette)
- Stephanie Samedy (6-2, OPP, Minnesota)
- Molly Sauer (5-11, L, Louisville)
Head Coach: Chris Tamas (head coach, University of Illinois)
Assistant Coach: Joe Trinsey (USA Volleyball High Performance)
Assistant Coach: Natalie Morgan (assistant coach, Loyola Marymount University)
Technical Coordinator: Jessica Rae Aschenbrenner (director of operations, University of Denver)
Athletic Trainer: Margaret Marion (University of Illinois)
Head of Delegation: Erin Leaser
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